Strange New Titan
by MrRigger
Summary: A new guy comes to Jump, and the Titans want him to join. Multiple pairings, AU. Before fifth season. On hold.
1. Making New Friends

Welcome to my story. Updates will not regular, but I try to have a life, so that is to be expected. This is my disclaimer for the entire story, however long I choose to make it. **I do not own Teen Titans or any other DC property I may use. All OCs are my own creation unless otherwise credited.**

--

It was a slow day for the Titans. It was a slow day in the middle of a slow week in a slow month.

"I'm so bored," Beast Boy moaned from across the main room.

"You could do the dishes," Robin said dryly from his position at the computer.

Beast Boy looked at the mountainous pile in the sink, food and blue mold covering the dishes, and shuddered. "I'm okay being bored."

"Hey B.B., come here so I can beat you in some Street Fighter," Cyborg called from the couch.

"Don't bother dude, I'm not in the mood."

Cyborg was taken aback by that comment. "You feeling okay? It isn't like you to turn down video games."

"Yes, friend Beast Boy, are you ill?" Starfire asked. "The games that are video are some of your favorite things to do."

"I'm fine, just bored." The changeling collapsed on the couch. "We haven't been doing anything for the past forever. I can't do anything to relax cause I haven't been doing anything I need to relax from."

"Beast Boy's right. Crime has been at a minimum lately," Robin said with a frown. "There hasn't been any escapes from the Meta wing at the prison, no major crimes, and our regular patrols are barely turning up purse snatchers. I don't like it."

"I'm going to go train," Beast Boy groaned as he lifted himself up off the couch.

"This is weird," Cyborg muttered. "I've never seen B.B. so bored that he would do extra training sessions without being asked."

"I've never seen Beast Boy do extra training sessions without being dragged into the gym kicking and screaming," Raven droned.

"Perhaps he is altering his primary muscle for blood circulation," Starfire said hopefully.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow and Raven leaned and whispered in his ear, "Change of heart."

"Whatever the reason, I'm not complaining," Robin said. "But I think that something big might be coming."

"Come on man, you're just being paranoid," Cyborg said as he clamped a titanium hand down on Robin's shoulder.

Robin shrugged Cyborg's hand off him and rubbed his shoulder. "I don't know. Whenever crime goes on a vacation, it usually comes back harder than ever. I have to check some things."

Robin got back on the computer, typing furiously. Cyborg tapped him on the shoulder.

"Robin? You told us to tell you whenever you had a scary hardcore moment. You're having one now. Knock it off."

"I need to do this research."

"Yeah, I can do it for you. You aren't going to relax, I know you too well to think that you would. So go help B.B., if you aren't going to do nothing."

Robin didn't move.

Cyborg picked Robin up out of his seat and looked him in the eye. "I'll do this research. Go help B.B., or do the dishes."

Robin escaped Cyborg's grasp and stepped back. "I'm going to go see how Beast Boy's doing."

"Good choice."

The elevator doors _swished_ closed as Robin left to go train with Beast Boy and Starfire spoke up. "Was that truly necessary, friend Cyborg?"

"He needed it. It's better that he take it hard and help us all instead of going overboard like normal."

"But perhaps you did not have to be so hard on him?"

It was Raven's turn to speak. "Robin is too stubborn to respond to the normal amount of persuasion. You know that. If not hard on him, he won't listen."

"True. But I do wish it was not that way." Starfire drifted off to the kitchen to get herself a bottle of mustard.

Cyborg looked over to make a comment to Raven, but she had already immersed herself in her book again.

--

Robin walked into the gym where Beast Boy was tearing into a punching bag. He watched him for a moment before speaking up.

"Feel like going a few rounds?"

Beast Boy stopped pounding the bag and looked over at the team leader.

"No offense dude, but I'm not really in the mood for a beating today."

"I'm not just going to stand there and hit you. And you're better than you think you are."

"Fine. But no bo staff."

--

Beast Boy collapsed just outside the gym doors a few hours later, sweat dripping of his body. Robin wasn't far behind, sweating but not falling out.

"You did good," Robin panted. "Really good."

Beast Boy rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling. "Thanks dude. Now I'm going to go to take a shower and collapse on my bed."

_**WREEET! WREEET! WREEET!**_

"Sorry Beast Boy, that's going to have to wait," Robin said as he whipped out his communicator. "Rancid is tearing up downtown. Titans, Go!"

"Do you really have to say 'Titans, Go' when there's only two of us here?"

"Just come on. You aren't bored out of your mind now, are you?"

The resident changeling could only grumble under his breath.

--

Beast Boy tore through the air in the form of a peregrine falcon, Starfire at his side.

The R-cycle ran in front of the T-car, carrying Raven and Cyborg.

They reached downtown in a matter of minutes, and it was painfully obvious that Johnny Rancid had been there, but was nowhere in sight.

"Where did the Johnny Rancid go?" Starfire asked.

"I can't believe he got away!" Robin slammed his fist into the R-cycle for emphasis.

"I know you got issues with Rancid, man, but don't take it so hard."

_**CRRR-AAAASSSH!**_

The Titans all rushed down the street where the crash had come from.

Rancid's motorcycle was lodged in the second story window of a nearby office building. Rancid himself, was standing in the middle of street fifty feet away, looking very confused.

"What happened to me?" His eyes shot up his half exposed black bike in the office building. "What happened to my bike?"

Rancid caught sight of the Titans at the end of the street and started marching towards them menacingly.

"Titans, ready!" All the Titans tensed and readied themselves to attack as soon as Johnny was in range.

Before Rancid was within forty paces of the teen superheroes, something struck him in the side of the head.

Hard.

There was a flicker of light and a stranger appeared beside where Rancid had just landed.

His feet were covered in large black biker boots coming halfway up his calves with a knife holstered in the top of his right boot. Dirty blue jeans covered the rest of his legs. Long brown hair covered in a dark gray bandana was brought back into a smooth ponytail ending halfway down his back. Even through the dirty white T-shirt, the stranger's well-defined muscles were obvious. This stranger was me.

"You!" Johnny snarled. "You're the one who snatched me off my bike! I'm gonna kill you!"

Rancid shot up to punch me in the face and after another flicker of light I was on the other side of Rancid.

"Too slow," I chuckled.

Johnny whipped around and I slammed a fist into his jaw.

CRUNCH!

The team down the street could hear it break.

Rancid let loose a sound that was something between a groan and a scream.

He grabbed my shirt and made to headbutt me, but I was gone in a flicker of light.

"Still too slow," I taunted from my new perch atop a telephone pole.

The gray skinned biker growled as I leapt down.

He made a move to grab me but I was gone again.

Rancid spun around, trying to find me.

I tapped his shoulder from behind.

As the biker drew back a fist I sank a steel-toed boot into his groin.

Every guy watching the fight winced and groaned.

"Dude…that was one of the harshest things I've ever seen," Beast Boy gasped.

"Stay down," I hissed, "for your sake, at least."

Johnny could only groan in response.

--

The Titans were by my side as soon as they had recovered from the shock of seeing me take down Rancid the way I did.

"Dude, that was crazy!" Beast Boy's eyes were huge. "You just took out Johnny Rancid all by yourself!"

"Kick any guy in the sac hard enough and they'll go down," I said coolly.

"I got to say, that was impressive." Robin extended his hand. "Taking out Rancid is something that usually is a lot more difficult."

I shook the Boy Wonder's hand and smiled. "Thanks. But, uh, who are you guys? I mean, you're Robin, I recognize you from when you were with the Bat, but the rest of you…I got no clue."

"You haven't heard of us?" Cyborg laughed loudly. "We're the Teen Titans!"

"…Come to think of it, I have heard something about you guys. I'm not from around here, and I don't read the paper very much, so I guess that's why."

Starfire flew over and her face was inches from mine. As pretty as she was, it was scary when she was that close to me all of a sudden.

"What is your name? How did you come here? What is your favorite color? Do you wish to be my friend?"

The questions came so quickly I took a moment to decipher what exactly she had said before answering.

"Keith, teleported, green, and sure, I can always use another friend."

"Glorious!" I immediately found myself in a bone-crushing hug, gasping for breath.

"Can't…breath…" I wheezed. Unfortunately, she didn't hear me and showed no signs of letting up.

I acted instinctively and was gone in a flicker of light.

"Where did friend Keith go?" Starfire asked, clearly confused as she was now hugging air.

"Over here," I shuddered, rubbing the feeling back into my arms. "Hell of a hug you got there."

"Oh, I am most sorry!" Starfire apologized. "I do forget my own strength sometimes."

"No kidding," I coughed as I massaged my ribs.

"Don't worry about it man," Cyborg laughed. "We've all been on the bad end of one of Starfire's hugs."

"Thanks. It doesn't help any."

Beast Boy snickered. "I like you dude. You're funny."

I merely shrugged.

"Seriously though, that was really impressive with Rancid. How'd you beat him so easily?" Cyborg inquired.

"I grabbed him off his bike, hit him while invisible, confused and disoriented him, and then I kicked him in the sac."

"How did you get him off his bike? That's not easy," Robin said. "Trust me, I know."

I smiled. "Like this."

With a flicker of light I was beside Beast Boy and teleported him up to the top of the office building that Johnny Rancid's bike was still residing in. Less than a second later, I was back down with the rest of Titans while the changeling was still on the roof.

"Alright! That was awesome!" Cyborg was doubled over with laughter, and when a disgruntled looking green hawk flew down, Robin had trouble hiding his smile.

"That wasn't funny!" Beast Boy yelled, trying, and failing, to tower over me. "You could have at least warned me!"

"I could have. But I didn't."

The corners of Raven's mouth lifted slightly.

I caught a sudden moment out of the corner of my eye. Apparently, Johnny Rancid was more persistent than I thought.

_Asshole._

By the time Robin noticed Rancid was getting up I had already teleported in front of the dirty biker. There was a hint of malice in my voice when I spoke.

"You know, I don't like people like you. It's people like you that fuck it up for honest bikers like myself. People who tear up shit because they can and don't care what happens to anyone else. That's why I'm gonna punch you in the face."

And I did.

Rancid groaned loudly as I grabbed his broken jaw. "Stay down this time. I don't have a problem kicking a douche bag while he's down."

I looked back at the Titans whose mouths were slightly agape. "You should probably get him tied up or handcuffed or something. I'd do it, but I forgot to bring my bondage gear."

"D-Dude?" Beast Boy was flabbergasted and Raven raised an eyebrow.

I smiled. "I'm just messing with you. The handcuffing him thing would still probably be a good idea."

"Y-Yeah." Robin produced a pair of handcuffs and slapped them on Rancid's wrists.

"Alright! You flustered Robin!" A titanium hand clamped down on my shoulder. "Nothing messes him up!"

"Glad I could impress. But now, I'm hungry and I'm going to get some pizza. You guys are welcome to join me if you want."

I started walking down the street, counting backward in my head. _Five, four, three, two…_

"Hey, man, wait up! We're coming with!"

_One. They're teenagers. They won't pass up pizza._

--

The pizza shaped diner, which I found to be tacky as hell, was just down the street.

As we walked in the spandex clad teens around me were greeted with all the recognition of superheroes and regular customers. It was freaky.

Not the fact that they were superheroes, but the fact that they were regulars at a place designed to imitate a slice of pizza.

I saw Cyborg and Beast Boy descend into an argument over all meat or all veggie pizza and Raven rolled her eyes.

"I take it this is a normal occurrence."

"Kill me now," Raven droned.

"Oh friend Raven, do not speak so! You must not wish to meet an premature demise." As Starfire continued to wail, I was snickering.

"If y'all are always like this I'm sorry I'm leaving tomorrow."

Robin groaned. "It wears on you quickly."

I felt a smile creep across my lips. "I've dealt with eccentric personalities all my life. You'd be surprised how well I can deal with everything."

One side of the black eyemask lifted. "Eccentric?"

I couldn't help it. I laughed. "I have to call them eccentric since I'm related to them. Other people call them really fucking crazy. But that's what makes them so fun to hang around."

As Robin tried to process this information I walked over to the counter, next to the arguing teammates, and placed an order. "Two large with everything on them."

Beast Boy's eyes were suddenly as wide as dinner plates. "Duuuuuddddde! You can't just place an order for all of us like that! I know you heard me saying I couldn't have any meat on my pizza!"

I was unaffected as I pulled apart a few bills to pay for the food. "I did hear you. A conclusion wasn't being reached, so I went ahead and placed my order. Get what you want on your bill, but those two pizzas are all mine."

Beast Boy mumbled something I took as an apology. Didn't know if it was one, but I took it that way.

--

After the pizza dispute was resolved, and the food actually arrived, the third degree began.

"If you guys always eat here, and it looks like you do, why don't you have the meat versus tofu debate resolved yet?" I asked while tearing into my fourth slice.

"Because Beast Boy is too stupid to allow himself to let anyone eat meat in his presence!" Cyborg argued.

"No, it's because Cyborg is too insensitive to let himself think about others feelings. I've been all the animals on that pizza!" Beast Boy contested.

"By Azar, you started them again," Raven groaned with a roll of her eyes.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to." I smiled at her and she just returned to her book.

"So you're a teleporter, huh?" Robin was gesturing at me with a slice of his own.

"Yeah, I was born with it. I can become invisible at will as well."

"You can only lose ties with the visible spectrum when around a person named Will?" Starfire was obviously confused, but it was rather cute.

"No, he means that he can become invisible anytime he wants."

"I see."

I quickly disappeared myself. "Actually, you don't," I said with an invisible smile.

Cyborg and Beast Boy burst out laughing and Starfire clapped. I even managed a smirk from Raven and the Boy Wonder.

"Oh friend Keith, that was most humorous!"

I did a small mock bow before starting on my seventh slice, receiving a giggle from Starfire and an eye roll from Raven.

"Now I'm probably not one to tell anyone about overeating," Cyborg said in my direction, "but you've downed six slices and you aren't slowing up any. Don't you think that's overdoing it?"

"No, I ordered two pizzas because I'm going to eat two pizzas," I explained. "With how much energy teleporting burns, I actually need to eat this much."

"Really?" Robin was skeptical.

"It's true. However I have trained my body to go without food when I need to, even though I don't like it."

--

I finished up my second pizza before any of the others finished whatever they were going to eat, and threw a couple bucks down for a tip.

And then I saw a vision of beauty walk by the window. I still don't know how any of the Titans missed her.

"As fun as you guys have been to talk to, I need to get going. If I'm ever in town again, I'll look you up."

"So you're leaving? But you were funny," Beast Boy whined. "You got Raven to crack a smile, and even my funny skills have trouble pulling that off."

"I need to get back. And as long as we stay on schedule, I'll be gone tomorrow afternoon."

Before any of the others could protest, I teleported outside and started jogging down the street.

_You lied to them,_ the voice in my head sing-songed.

_Shut up, you stupid cricket, I didn't lie to them. It was mostly the truth. I do need to get back._

_Then why are you chasing after a girl instead?_

_Because, I don't often see a girl I like, and maybe I can invite her back with me._

_Do you know what you're going to say to this girl?_

_No. But you know that already. You're me._

_Well, I suggest working it out quickly because you are currently walking beside her, and she's giving you a nasty stare._

_What! Why didn't you say so earlier?_

_I rather like seeing you fail._

_You're an ass. And yes, I realize I just called myself an ass, but the comment still stands._

"What do you want?"

"I merely wanted to let you know that you are a vision of beauty, and more stunning than Aphrodite."

The girl with the bright pink hair down past her shoulders stopped. "So you ran after me just to tell me I'm pretty?"

_Am I seeing things, or did her eyes just flash pink?_

_Shut up, cricket._

"No, I did not. I see many pretty girls on my job, but you are not pretty. You are absolutely, stunningly beautiful. And no, I do not say that to every girl I meet."

"Well thank you. Now if you excuse me, I must be going."

_You heard her, she has to go. Now leave her alone. Uncle always taught you to stay away from girls with freaky eyes._

_Since when did I ever listen to his advice about women?_

…_Good point. He probably isn't the best person to listen to._

"Before you run off and leave me with only a memory, please give me a name. Preferably yours."

She thought about it for a moment. "Jennifer Murphy. But you can call me Jenny."

"Well Jenny, I'm Keith, Keith Danes."

"I suppose this is the part where you ask me if you want to go get coffee."

"I thought you had to leave."

"I was on my way to go get coffee."

"Wonderful. May I join you?"

"If you buy."

We took off in the direction of whatever coffee shop Jenny wanted to go.

_You know you're supposed to be at work at six, and it's five now._

_That's why I'll be there at seven and I'm turning off my phone _now

--

"So, what do you do for a living?" I asked as I downed my fourth cup of coffee.

Jenny's pink eyes shifted downward for a moment, but met mine again quickly. "I just got out of my previous line of work about two months ago. Now I'm a bartender over at Vine."

"I'm from out of town, so I don't know where that is."

"Where are you from?"

"Not really _from_ anywhere."

Jenny merely lifted an eyebrow.

"I was born in Bludhaven, but I've lived on the road all my life. Literally, all my life."

"That's interesting. Any reason?"

"Family business."

"What's your fam- is that the time? Oh shit, I'll probably be late now."

"Work?" I asked, slightly amused at her reaction.

"No, pleasure. There's a concert tonight, and now I'll probably be late."

"The AFI show down at the stadium?"

"Yeah…how'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," I said with a sly smile. "Do you have the tickets on you?"

Jenny gave me an are-you-crazy look. "I'm not letting them out of my sight."

"Can I see them?" Another look. "I'm serious. I'm not going to run off with them, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oooooookaaaaaay." Jenny slowly pulled two tickets out of her pocket and handed them over with care.

I took a quick look at the seat numbers and barely stifled my laughter. "Good grief, these are the seats the nosebleed seats make fun of."

Jenny quickly snatched them back. "Don't make fun of them, I'm on a limited budget and these were the best I could afford."

"Who's going with you?"

"Baran. I've known him forever and he's like a brother to me."

"Can he find someone else to go with him?"

Jenny's eyes grew wide and dangerous. "If you're suggesting I miss the concert, you have another thing coming!"

"Keep your voice down. And I wasn't suggesting you miss the concert, I was merely asking if he could find someone else to go with him."

"Yeah, he probably can…why?"

I pulled a laminated rectangle out of my pocket. "Because you are going to be somewhere much better. If you want, that is."

"Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think it's an all access backstage pass, then yes."

Jenny was near speechless. "H-H-How d-did you manage to get one of those?"

I smiled broadly. "I'm one of the roadies for the tour."

"You're shitting me."

"I shit you not. Now call you buddy Baran and tell him to find someone else to go with. I'll take you over there and you can drop off the tickets, then we can go over to the concert."

Jenny flashed me a smile that made my day. "Let's go then! What are we waiting for?"

"For me to make sure I'm still alive. Your smile is positively breathtaking. But we do need to hurry."

--

"This is your ride?"

We stood in front of a large midnight blue Harley. "Yes, do you have a problem with that?" I asked as I tossed her the spare helmet.

Jenny shook her head vigorously. "Not at all. I just thought this day couldn't get any better."

_Okay, this girl likes my jokes, my job, and now she loves my bike. Can she get any better?_

_It's a pity you're leaving tomorrow._

_You love being the killjoy, don't you?_

_It's my job, and I'm damn good at it._

_I really don't like you right now._

_If it makes you feel any better, she has her arms wrapped tight around your waist._

_It does. Now stop talking before you ruin any more moments._

--

"Baran! Baran, open up! It's Jenny!" The pink haired beauty banged on the door to Baran's apartment. At least I hoped it was Baran's apartment. If it wasn't, I wasn't going to do any explaining.

"Geez Jenny, think you were loud enough?" a person I could only assume to be Baran said as he answered the door.

Baran, as it seems, was a very large and muscular eighteen year old. He had a mane of long red hair going down his back and didn't look particularly bright. Looks can be deceiving, so I wasn't going to judge him on that. He was also wearing a pair of ripped blue jeans and a white muscle shirt with a long black trench coat.

"Here's the tickets," Jenny said, shoving the pieces of paper into his chest. She started to walk away but stopped. "Who'd you get to go with you?"

Baran broke into a broad grin. "I'm taking Nikki from the club."

"Oh God, Baran! How many times do I have to tell you, she's only uses guys to get what she wants."

"Yeah, well, I've got something she wants, and she's hot, so…"

Jenny walked away, clearly disgusted, muttering something that sounded like, "Men."

"Come on, we're going now," Jenny called from her position by the bike.

I took a leaving glance at Baran. "Have fun and good luck with your date."

"Uh…thanks?"

I smiled. _I love leaving people confused._

--

I pulled into the backstage area at quarter of seven where I found my uncle and my father waiting for me.

_You're gonna get it, you're gonna get it, you're gonna-_

_How many times to I have to tell you to shut up, you stupid cricket?_

_I speak my mind, well, our mind, as often as I want, and you can't stop me._

"Where have you been?" my father asked me. "You were supposed to be hear forty-five minutes ago. What held you up?"

My Uncle Dan grabbed my father by the arm. "Dave! Leave the boy alone! He's got a girl with him!"

They both looked Jenny up and down thoroughly before turning back to me. "Fine, I guess I can excuse you. This time." My father gave me a meaningful look I didn't understand and punched me in the shoulder. "I'll talk with you later."

Uncle Dan grabbed me and pulled me in so Jenny couldn't hear what he was saying. "I approve. I guess being picky works for you."

"You know I hate having this conversation with you."

"Ha! But I need to talk to you later too."

"What was that about?" Jenny asked from behind me.

"Well, the comments are just the way they are. But I don't know why they want to talk to me. I'm forever coming in late because I know I'm not needed and I get bored just sitting around, so I doubt it's because I'm late."

"Well I'm sorry if I got you in trouble."

"Actually, you probably got me out of trouble. Dad and Uncle would have given me a hard time if I had just blown off work. But they are forever on my case about not flirting with girls and doing all the things a good little stagehand does. Since I brought you back, they think I'm finally doing something socially acceptable. Within the roadie world, that is."

I knew that I was saying the wrong things by the way Jenny's brow was furrowing and her eyes were a burning pink.

"Do you expect me to do anything a mindless groupie would do? Because if you do, you are sorely mistaken." Pink energy was crackling off the tips of Jenny's fingers.

"Come on, do you think I'm really that stupid? If I were, you wouldn't have been able to stand to be around me for as long as you have been. And I just said that they give me a hard time for not doing that. So I don't expect you to be normal groupie. I don't like groupies."

"Are you being serious? Or are you just saying that?" The sparking fingertips stopped, but her eyes were still glowing brightly. I was slightly scared.

"No, I'm not just saying that, because I think if I lied to you, you would rip out my eyes. As a warning."

Jenny took a few deep breaths and her optics stopped shining. "You're on probation."

"Completely understandable. And you may want to try to keep glowing eyes to a minimum in the crowd. Crowds panic easily and I don't want to have to stop a riot tonight."

"I didn't really want you to find out about that."

"Didn't want to scare me off?"

"I didn't know your stance on meta-humans. Some people tend to run from metas on principle." Jenny didn't say it with any shame in her voice; it was a statement of fact.

I smiled and vanished my forearm. "I don't see why I would have any problem with metas."

"I don't either."

_I really like her smile._

_You aren't the only one._

_We're the same person, you dumbass cricket._

_Doesn't stop me from liking her smile any less._

_I really need to stop talking to myself._

_You're the crazy one._

--

"That was an awesome show!" Jenny yelled, obviously still adjusted to the volume of the concert.

"I've seen better," I said. "But then again, I wasn't really watching the show."

Jenny took a minute to realize what I said and blushed deeply.

"Not used to people complimenting you? Because I can't see why they wouldn't."

"Okay, you need to stop lying like that."

"I'm not lying, I'm not even warping the truth, I'm stating facts."

We were almost back to my bike when my phone rang.

"Yeah Uncle?"

"_What are you doing now?"_

"I was about to run Jenny back to her place."

"_We're good on people for the load out, so don't worry about rushing back. Me and your pop still need to talk to you, so just be back by two."_

"See you at two then."

Jenny was already straddling the bike, helmet in hand. "Well?"

"We just got a few extra hours to talk instead of me having to drop you off and run."

"That sounds wonderful."

--

"Here we are, home sweet crappy apartment," Jenny said, gesturing around.

It was true. The apartment had an old couch with frayed cushions and a busted TV. The fridge door was cracked and the sink had six different types of grime and dirt built up. It looked like there was a hall leading down to a small bathroom and a tiny bedroom.

"It's not that bad," I said. Jenny gave me an are-you-stupid look. "Yeah, okay it is that bad, but I live on tour bus and change tours every three months or so."

"So, do you want anything to drink?" Jenny was playing an awkward host.

"What do you have?" I was playing the awkward guest.

"Not much. There's a few water bottles, orange juice, some milk," she looked inside the carton and swirled it around, "well, some chunky milk. Oh, there're a few cans of Mountain Dew back there that I was hiding from myself."

"Mountain Dew please."

Jenny tossed me a can and sat down on the couch next to me with a can of her own.

"I really did have fun at the concert tonight," Jenny said.

"Glad to hear it. I had fun too. Since I grew up around it, I'm normally bored if I'm not working. But tonight, I had good time."

Silence.

"Yeah…" I sighed.

Silence.

"Oh, fuck this," Jenny said, and she tackled me, crushing her mouth to mine.

I wasn't sure of what was going on for a moment and then regained my senses.

My senses were happy.

I pushed Jenny away just slightly, just enough so I could look her in the eye. "Wait a second, wait a second, I thought you weren't going to be a stereotypical groupie? You don't need to do this."

Jenny smiled a sly smile. "I'm not being a stereotypical groupie. If I were a stereotypical groupie, I would be back at the stadium with my hand down a band member's pants. But I'm here, in my apartment, trying to make out with a very sweet and charming, albeit too honorable for his own good, guy who makes me tingle in special places."

I gaped. "…………Well, um, you believe in being rather forward, don't you?"

"I'm not alone in being upfront about things. You don't really beat around the bush either."

"True, I don't, but I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do."

Another sly smile. "Keith, you couldn't if you tried." Then she started kissing me again.

We didn't stop until almost two o' clock.

--

"You really have to go?" Jenny's hair was mussed and her clothes were slightly disheveled.

"Yeah, I do. I'm supposed to be back at two." Jenny gave a small pout. "If given the choice between staying here with a beautiful girl and going back and having a talk with my pop and uncle, trust me, I'd much rather be here."

"You've already seduced me, you can lay off the charm."

"Can't do that. Like you too much."

Jenny blushed and handed me a slip of paper. "This is my number. Call me if you're ever in town."

"Can I call you for coffee tomorrow? I won't be leaving till tomorrow afternoon."

"Definitely call me."

I reluctantly left her with a kiss and hopped on my bike before I could convince myself to go back inside.

I _really_ wanted to go back inside.

Instead, I vanished myself, extended my invisibility to the motorcycle, and tore across the city towards the stadium breaking eighty miles an hour.

--

My uncle was waiting for my when I got back. He was stony-faced. I would have preferred if he were stoned.

It would have improved my chances of this being a good conversation.

"Hey Keith," he said. "I really need to talk to you."

Oh yeah, this was not going to be a good talk.

"What about?" I tried to remain as calm and noncommittal as possible.

"Well, I want to wait for your pop."

We stood in awkward silence for a few minutes, until my dad came out of the tour bus.

"I bet you're wondering about why we need to talk to you."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"You know I've always wanted better for you," my dad started. "I've always wanted a better life for you. I never wanted you to have to run all across the country with me, especially not all your life."

"Come out and say it, dad." There was slight irritation in my voice.

"I want you off the tour. You're eighteen and old enough to be on your own. I want you to pack up your stuff and get off the bus."

I turned to my uncle. "And you support this?"

He sighed. "I love you man, but this life isn't the one I want for you. I love hanging with you, and I see you as a friend more than a nephew, but I want you to leave. Go get a real life, and get a normal job, with normal people. That's what you deserve, and what you need."

There was a bite of anger in my voice now. "And just how do you know that? Huh? I love doing this. You both know I love doing this. Why would you just take it away like this?"

"Look son, I don't want you to leave with you sore at us."

"Hard for me to do when you're just kicking me out with no notice," I snapped bitterly.

But my dad continued unphased, "But we need you to leave. It's for your own good. You can always call us if you need to, but only if you're completely down on your luck."

Uncle looked at me with apology in his eyes. "I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you do good for yourself."

I could feel the disgust in my eyes. "I hope you guys aren't such dicks to everyone." With a flicker of light, I was inside the tour bus, grabbing clothes and my sparse personal belongings. I put tied everything together and teleported back to my bike. I quickly lashed everything to the seat and got on.

_I can't believe they did that!_

_I can. You should have seen the signs._

_What are you talking about? There wasn't any warning._

_Of course there were warnings. And you should have seen them._

_What are you talking about?_

_Come on. They've been telling you for a while that they wanted you to get out of this lifestyle._

_And I've been telling them for just as long that I love this lifestyle and don't want to get out of it._

_They've been giving you a lot less work here lately. They've been letting you get away with a lot more._

_They've always let me get away with stuff._

_Not like this. They used to lecture you about responsibly and shit like that. Not anymore._

_They finally accepted that this is the way I am._

_Now you're just trying to convince yourself of what isn't true. I think that's a little funny myself, but that's probably a little weird considering we're the same person._

_Good God, I'm crazier than people realize, aren't I?_

_At least you don't argue with yourself out loud._

_That would be really bad._

_Why am I still arguing with the voice in my head? I'm gonna go find an all night all you can eat buffet._

_Yeah, I'm hungry too._

--

I pulled into the parking lot of a buffet on the outskirts of town at quarter after three. The buffet was cheap and the food was good, so I was happy with it.

I had had finished my meal and was ready to move onto dessert when the manager came over and politely asked me to leave. I politely refused.

That's when the staff threw me out.

Literally.

"Dammit, I hate it when that happens," I grumbled to no one as I picked myself up off the ground.

_You think you'd learn your lesson by now. You almost always get tossed out of all you can eat joints._

"Shut up, you." I looked around at the bare scenery, trying to find a place to get some dessert. There was a diner across the street. "Why not?"

Walking in, I immediately noticed a green elf in a purple and black jumpsuit.

"Beast Boy right?" I inquired as I sat down next to him.

His face immediately changed, going from somber to bright in a second. It looked like he had practiced it. "Hey, it's you! From the fight yesterday!"

"I am indeed," I chuckled.

"What are you doing here?"

I took a deep breath. "Trying to find some dessert as a way to avoid thinking about my real problems."

Beast Boy muttered something under his breath that sounded something like, "You and me both." Then he brightened. "Well, they have good pie here."

"I suppose that's your reason for being here, good pie?"

"Yeah, well…I like to come here to think sometimes." His eyes flickered downward for a moment and I decided not to pursue it.

"So let's have some pie."

The waitress brought us both a slice and we sat in silence.

"That was really cool how you brought down Rancid yesterday."

"He was tearing up your town. I could stop him, and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't."

"That's cool. But wait a second. Didn't you say you had to leave town or something like that?"

"Well…now it's definitely more along the lines of 'or something'. But that's the problem I am currently escaping with this pie, so I'd rather not talk about it."

Beast Boy's eyes shifted for a second. "Yeah, I know all about not wanting to talk about certain things."

I smiled. "So let's drown our trouble in more pie. Two more slices over here!"

--

I left Beast Boy at the diner at around six, cloaking my bike and myself and driving around town aimlessly.

_I wonder what I'm going to do now._

_Well, I suggest finding a place to live._

_Maybe I don't want to stay in this town._

_Now you're being childish, of course you want to stay in this town. If you didn't I wouldn't have brought it up._

_Point._

_So we need to find a place to live and make sure we have access to our bank account._

_It's still really weird when you talk like we're two separate people._

_You know as well as I that it's easier and less confusing to talk like that._

_Well there goes a bank. Remember where it is._

_Call Jenny._

_Huh?_

_We were making a list of the things we need to do today. We need to call Jenny for coffee._

_That's true, but I was going to wait till later when normal people are up. It's still six in the morning. And after going to a concert and making out till two in the morning, I doubt she's up._

_We're up and we had the same night._

_Yeah, but we didn't sleep at all last night. She probably did. Therefore, she's probably still asleep. I'll call her later._

_Fine. I can see I'm not going to get anywhere with you right now._

_Shut up and let me be for a while. Hassle me again in a few hours._

--

Beast Boy landed on the roof of the tower and shed his falcon form. "Hey Robin."

Robin was there, watching the sunrise. "You're up early this morning. Where'd you go?"

"Just out to get some pie." Robin had known Beast Boy long enough and could tell by his tone of voice that he had been dwelling on Terra. He also knew that it wasn't a good idea to press it further.

"You remember Keith from yesterday?" Beast Boy asked conversationally.

"The guy who took down Rancid? Yeah, what about him?"

"I met him at the diner."

"Really? I thought he said he was leaving." Robin was curious, but he masked it well.

"Well, I know I can't read people as well as you can, but something was troubling him. He might be around town for longer than he planned."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, he was asking me little things like where good places to eat were, what there was to do around town, stuff like that."

Robin bowed his head in thought. "That does sound like he was planning on being in town for a while. But why would he tell us different yesterday…"

The green elf put a hand on his leader's shoulder. "Snap out of it, man. Not everyone we run across is out to get us. And I talked with him for a long time over several pieces of pie, and I don't think he's a bad guy."

"You're right, Beast Boy. But still…"

Beast Boy sighed and stared Robin directly in the eye. "I know what you're thinking. The last time we had someone fall into our laps like this………it was Terra."

"Beast Boy, I didn't say…"

"I know," Beast Boy cut him off. "That's why I'm saying it for you. I know that we've been hurt before, but maybe we should give him a communicator in case he ever needs our help or something."

"………Yeah, that is a good idea," Robin sighed. "But how do you find some one who can turn invisible and teleport?""

"I don't know, you're the detective around here."


	2. Joining the Team

**Author's note: I'm here again, and with another chapter. I would have updated sooner, but the site has been stupid for the past week or so. And because I'm a praise whore, please review. And if you told your friends about my fic, I wouldn't hold it against you. More feedback means a better story.**

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I sped down the streets of Jump, still cloaked and avoiding traffic.

_I wonder if they canceled our per diem._**(1)**

_I thought I told you to shut up and leave me alone._

_You told me to shut up and not hassle you for a while. It's been several hours and I've been good._

_I guess you're right. And no, I don't think they cut off our per diem. I bet Uncle Dan said he would take care of it. Everyone would trust him to do it, but he's not heartless enough to dump me out all on my own._

_You know, he probably would do something like that. He'll probably get away with it, saying the paperwork just got lost or something._

_That's why I said it._

_We need to call Jenny too._

_You move right along from one subject to the next, don't you?_

_It keeps you from getting to far off subject._

_What'd I do with her number?_

_Front left pocket of your jeans._

_Right._

I pulled over into an alley and pulled out my cell. I dialed Jenny's number, and she picked up after three rings.

"_Who are you and why are you calling me so early?"_ Jenny's voice came.

"It's Keith from yesterday, and I'm calling to ask if you still want to go get coffee with me. And it's ten o'clock, hardly early."

"_Ten o'clock? Already? Damn, it's later than I thought. Yeah, yeah, coffee sounds great. Pick me up in half an hour?"_

"I'll be there. Now let's see if I can figure out how to get to your apartment."

I heard Jenny giggle, then stop when she realized I was serious. "Oh don't worry, I'll figure out my way over there."

"_Well, okay. I guess there isn't much I could do anyway. See you in half an hour."_

The phone line clicked and I put it back my phone back in my pocket after saving Jenny's number to memory. "Now to figure out a way to get to Jenny's."

--

"Hey guys, while I got you all here," Robin said to the rest of the team in the kitchen. "If any of you see Keith, from yesterday, give him a communicator. He impressed me with Rancid and even if we didn't make him a full Titan, he should be an honorary Titan. And he should have a communicator if he ever needs a hand."

"Oh glorious! It will be wondrous to have a new friend on the team."

"Down Starfire. Are you sure this a good idea?" Raven asked.

"Yeah man, I mean, we just met the guy yesterday, and we've only seen him fight once," Cyborg reasoned.

"He took down Rancid in less than a minute without taking a single hit," Robin stated. "And he has the makings of a really good fighter, especially with his invisibility."

"I'm not doubting that," said Raven, "but I still have uncertainties."

Beast Boy cut in before Robin could speak. "I spent a couple hours and several pieces of pie talking with him, and we got to know each other pretty well. We didn't get too far into what his plans for the future were, but I think he's staying in town, and he's a nice guy."

"And Terra was a nice girl," monotoned Raven.

Cyborg said it before Beast Boy did. "That was low, Raven."

"It had to be said."

The green elf held up a hand to stop his friend. "You know what? That was the first thing I thought. I couldn't not think about that. I had just come from visiting her so there was no way I couldn't make that connection. But sometimes we need to take a chance."

Raven glared.

Robin cleared his throat. "I know that some of you don't like this decision, but I'm making it. We need new blood, and I think he would be good for us. _All_ of us. I'm going to call the commissioner and tell him to keep an eye out for Keith."

"Why?" asked Beast Boy with an eyebrow raised.

"Keith took down a dangerous criminal without a second thought. I'm betting on him doing it again." People who didn't know Robin as well as the rest of his team did would have missed the slight smile that was crossing the Boy Wonder's lips, but they caught it.

"You really want this guy on the team, don'tcha Robin," Cyborg laughed and his face split into a broad grin.

"I just think he would make a good addition to the team." Robin kept his trademark cool exterior.

"I also think that Keith would be a splendid teammate," Starfire remarked. "His hair is long enough for me to perform the braiding maneuvers on."

Raven ignored the snickering from Cyborg and Beast Boy while she talked to Starfire. "Don't get your hopes up about that."

--

I walked up to the apartment I hoped to be Jenny's and knocked on the door. She quickly answered and bounced out the door. "Ready to go?" she smiled.

I was suddenly very glad I had been kicked off the tour.

"I'm more than ready. Where's the good coffee around here?"

"Just down the street. We can walk there. It's a hole in the wall place, but really good coffee. I work there the two days a week I'm not at Vine."

We started down the street, talking casually, a fact I was appreciative of. "A working girl, huh? I like that."

Jenny glared at me in a half accusatory manner. "Are you saying you like girls who wait on you hand and foot?"

I quickly put my hands up in defense and laughed. "Not at all. I'm merely saying that you know how to work and aren't afraid to do so. I don't want a girl who's utterly high maintenance and doesn't know how to do anything for herself. It was meant as a compliment."

"Yeah, well, make sure you keep those compliments coming. They're doing you more good than you think."

"Just as long as you don't expect me to start spouting Shakespeare," I smiled.

"That's good. I think Old Billy is overrated. Don't get me wrong, he was a really good writer, but when he goes on and on about the little things, I just get bored."

"At least it's not because you don't understand him. I hate when that's the reason."

"I know. People don't like him because they don't take the time to really read him and understand what he means. If people don't try, it's worthless."

"How'd we get to talking about this?"

Jenny opened her mouth, and then paused. "…I don't know. How did we get talking about this?"

"Well, we started out with coffee, then you working, then compliments, then Shakespeare, then why you don't like Shakespeare, then why other people don't like Shakespeare, then we're here."

"Interesting stream of consciousness we had."

We couldn't help it. We laughed. We were still laughing when we got into the coffee shop.

"So what can your meta powers do besides that light show from last night? I mean it was cool, but something tells me that's not all you can do," I commented as we sat down at a back corner table.

"Well, my powers are bad luck." Jenny started. "Maybe not bad luck per say, that's just the best way to put it. It's all probability. Bad things have always happened around me. When I was younger and couldn't control my powers, stuff was always breaking around me. Now I know how to control that so stuff doesn't just randomly happen. Now I mix sorcery and my natural powers to have greater manipulation over it, but it's still mostly just destroying stuff."

"That sounds like more fun than what I can do."

"Really now?" Jenny gave a coy smile.

"Stop smiling while I try to form coherent thoughts. You're much to good at it and it's very distracting."

"I told you to stop lying," Jenny blushed.

"I'm sorry, I was too captivated by your beauty to remember," I grinned.

"Well what are your powers, since you insisted on knowing mine?"

"Nothing near as cool as you. All I do is turn invisible and teleport. I mean, I can do some tricks with it, but that's it."

"Tricks?"

"Watch." I reached over and lightly touched her hand.

"What? What are you doing?" Jenny was slightly alarmed, but was hiding it well.

"Look at yourself." I bit back a smile.

Jenny looked down at herself and gasped. "What happened?"

"One of my favorite tricks. I can extend my invisibility to other people and things," I said as I removed my hand and Jenny returned to the visible world.

"Now that's cool. How long can you do that?"

"Depends on how long I my energy holds out. I can go a couple hours, easy. I mean, I was riding around cloaked for a good four hours this morning."

Jenny's eyes widened slightly. "That's impressive. You can keep something like that up for that long, while your concentration is elsewhere."

I blushed slightly. "It's not that big a deal."

"No, that's actually fairly impressive. And I'm not easily impressed. So where'd you learn to control your powers? Darkway?"

"Never heard of Darkway, whatever that is. I taught myself everything I know about controlling my powers. Other people had suggestions on what I could try to do, but I didn't really have any formal training. I've been disappearing since I was three and teleporting since I was five. And before you ask, my favorite game did quickly become hide-and-seek."

Jenny giggled at that.

"So what was that Darkway thing you asked me about?"

To my surprise, Jenny let out a heavy sigh. "Well, there's something I didn't really want to tell you, but there's some things in my past that I'm not proud of."

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, letting Jenny continue.

"My powers manifested early, kinda like yours. But since I'm bad luck, my powers gave my parents hell. Everything was always breaking around my house. My mom ended up leaving when I was six. Dad didn't blame her. I couldn't either. She couldn't take it anymore. She told us goodbye, so it wasn't sudden or anything."

Jenny sighed again.

"When I was ten, my powers got dangerous. I tried to suppress them, but that made it worse. I ended up melting a playground and someone from the H.I.V.E. Academy showed the next day. He told dad and me that his school was a place that could teach me how to control my powers. What he didn't tell me was that his school also taught me how to be a high powered mercenary and thief."

Jenny closed her eyes and drew back, waiting for me explode. But I just sat there, digesting what I just heard.

Eventually, I spoke. When I did, my voice was even and calm. "You said yesterday that you had gotten out of your previously line of work."

Jenny nodded slowly.

"I take it that was the line of work you were talking about."

Another slow nod.

"Did you lie to me?"

"I swear to you, I'm legit now," Jenny half-cried frantically.

"Did you ever kill anyone?" My tone was dead serious.

"No, I never killed anyone. I swear I never killed anyone. That's something I never want to do. I've done a lot of property damage and pulled a lot of robberies, but I don't like hurting innocent people."

"You're not on the run, are you?"

"No! The last time I got out of jail was the last time. I love my freedom and I hate jail. I never want to go back, so here I am."

I didn't say anything for a while, I just sat there, thinking.

"Last night, you said I made you tingle in special places. Did you mean that?"

"………What?"

"Just answer the question. Please."

"Well, at that point in time, yeah, you did." Jenny looked at me with a hopeful, half-smile on her face.

"You're honest. That's more important to me than past sins. If you're a good person now, that's all that matters."

Jenny's visage was filled with skepticism. "Are you messing with me?"

"No. I'm completely serious."

Jenny paused and it was her turn to stare at me. "Then what was the question about last night for?"

"Well, I wanted to know if you were really honest, and that question came to mind. That, and I wanted to know if I really had that impact on you."

Jenny smiled and blushed. "Last night was incredible, you're the nicest guy I've met in a long time, and…well…I haven't gotten laid in a while."

"Now see that's great. I really like that. You can admit something like that with only slight embarrassment."

Jenny smirked evilly. And now knowing what she used to do, I wasn't surprised by how good she was at it.

"Well, now that you know about me, when was the last time you got some?"

"Six months ago," I replied without hesitation.

Her eyes widened slightly when I answered so quickly, but she recovered easily. "You went out on the town and picked up another pink haired former criminal like me, I suppose."

"Well, not quite. The tour I was on at the time, the assistant lighting tech was a nineteen year old who was new to the touring life. She had done other work as local crew in her hometown, but it was her first time on tour. I took it upon myself to get her accustomed to the lifestyle. We got close, and ended up sleeping together a couple of times."

When I finished, Jenny was staring at me with her mouth open. "You do realize that I'm female, right?"

"Last night made that rather clear," I smiled.

"Then why did you try to tell me that story? Girls generally don't like it when guys they like tell them stories about people they've already slept with." Her eyes flashed pink to emphasize her point.

"Okay. But you kinda need to understand something. I never had a good female role model. In fact, I was raised by all guys. Guys who were all along the vein of my dad and my uncle, who you met briefly last night. I've gotten over all embarrassment about sex and everything associated with it. It actually takes a lot to embarrass me."

"Really…" Another evil smile. It was scary how good she was at that.

"Hey everybody!" Jenny yelled as she hopped up on the table. "This guy right here hasn't gotten laid in six months, and he's not getting any from me either!"

The look of surprise on Jenny's face when I jumped up on the table beside her was more priceless than a MasterCard commercial. "Yeah, and my dad and uncle just kicked me off the tour I was just working on so now I'm out of work and homeless!"

Jenny's face went from amused to depressed in a second. I decided then and there that I hated seeing Jenny depressed.

I sank back down into my chair and looked at Jenny, her head hanging slightly. "Look, it's not that big a deal. I was planning on telling you, but I'm more than a little pissed at my dad and Uncle Dan. And it's rather difficult to introduce into regular conversation."

"But you don't have any problem shouting it out in a crowded coffee house."

I sighed. "I didn't know you'd take it this way. And I said it was difficult to introduce into normal conversation. Yelling in a coffee house is hardly normal conversation. At least I don't think it is. Do you regularly have yelling conversations in here? If you do, I'm impressed."

"I can't believe that they just kicked you out like that," Jenny muttered.

"Don't worry about it." I tried to wave her off.

"You're the nicest guy I've met in a long time. Why would they boot you with no warning?"

"I never would have guessed that a former mercenary could be such a softie. And it wasn't so sudden. There were signs; I just didn't want to see them. I wish they had dumped me at the end of a tour instead of the middle of one like they did."

I looked at Jenny's downcast face and brought it back up so I could look in her pink optics. "Look. It's not your fault that I got booted. It was going to happen anyway. Don't worry about it. Right now all I'm worried about is making sure you have a nice time today, and finding a place to sleep tonight." I yawned. "I didn't do that emphasize my point, but I haven't slept since six a.m. yesterday. I guess it took more out of me than I thought."

Jenny smacked her hands on her thighs. "Okay. We're going to go now. I'm going to get you a place to crash, and then you're going to sleep. That way, the next time you take me out, you aren't dead tired and homeless."

"I'm not even going to bother arguing. I think it'd be fruitless. So where is this place that you're going to get me to crash at?"

Jenny just smiled and pulled out her cell phone. "Baran? ... I'm coming over. ... Make room for Keith to crash over there. ... What? Stop whining. ... How'd it go with Nikki last night? ... You got lucky? Good for you. ... If it weren't for Keith, you wouldn't have gotten laid last night. So you're going to put him up for at least tonight, or I'll hex you into the middle of next week. ... Great. We'll be over soon."

She flipped the phone closed and smiled at me.

"You have such a way with people," I smirked.

"I've known him forever. And don't worry about him, he can take pretty much anything thrown at him, as long as it doesn't require to much thinking."

--

BANG BANG BANG! "Open up Baran, its Jenny!"

"It's open," came the muffled reply.

"What the hell are you watching?" Jenny demanded as we stepped in, finding Baran collapsed in an oversized armchair. Well, for anyone else it would be oversized. For Baran, it suited him well.

"Project Runway," he rumbled.

"Any particular reason?"

"…It's kinda like a train wreck. You want to stop watching, but you just can't look away."

"Good enough for me." I tossed my bundle of possessions in a corner and flopped on the couch. "Wake me up in a couple hours."

Jenny started to walk back out the door when she realized something. "Uh, Keith? How am I supposed to get back home?"

I sighed and flipped back over. "Come over here and grab my hand."

Jenny looked skeptical, but did what I said anyway. "Hold on tight."

_flicker_

We were both three miles closer to Jenny's apartment.

_flicker_

We were teleported another three miles.

_flicker_

We were standing outside Jenny's apartment.

"Okay, last stop. All off the Keith express." Jenny smiled at that and I felt a little happier. "I'm definitely going to need to sleep once I get back."

"Call me later on. I've got work later tonight, but you could stop by."

"Will do." A few teleports later, I was back at Baran's and fast on my way to sleep.

--

Several hours later I woke to the sound of Baran crowing about his favorite designer being kicked out.

"Are you blind! Her outfit was much better than his! I can't believe they have the nerve to call themselves designers. That's horrible."

"I'll say," I mumbled as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"What?" Baran was understandably confused, as he didn't know I was awake.

I rolled over and sat up. "I said 'I'll say'. I don't know what I'll say, but I'll say it."

Baran grunted and went back to his show. I got up and checked the clock; glad to see that the bank wouldn't be closed.

I grabbed my stuff and thanked Baran for letting me crash at his place.

"Are you kidding me? If I didn't, Jenny would've beat the shit out of me."

I looked at him funny for a moment before speaking again.

"Nothing against Jenny, but I think you could take her in a fight if it came down to it."

"Yeah, well, you've never really pissed her off. It's not good. Really not good."

"I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to try to stay on her good side. I'm sure I'll end up pissing her off at some point in time, but if you're intimidated, that's not a good sign."

"Yeah, man. She likes you, but all the same, don't fuck up."

I gave a small mock bow. "The same to you, my muscled friend, the same to you." And I was gone.

--

I stood in hell.

Actually, hell was too kind of a place for where I was.

I stood in the line at the bank.

I sighed.

_**CRASH! BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!**_

"NOBODY MOVE!" Four men wearing black ski masks carrying guns that were definitely larger than necessary.

"Fuck!" I swore under my breath as I hit the floor.

The four armed men spread out in a well-patterned formation; each one knowing their part. I watched as they got into position, and then I made my move.

I disappeared myself and flickered over to the gunman covering the entrance. I grabbed his gun and ported again.

_flickerflickerflickerflicker_

I teleported around to the other gunmen, disarming them and dropping their weapons in the far corner.

I wanted to take a moment to watch their faces, but knew better against it.

The one by the registers yelled at the other three to find whomever it was that stole their weapons.

I was still invisible, so I thought it was going to be easy.

Then they all pulled handguns from within their coats.

_Fuck._

I ported over to one of the lackeys and dropped him with a one-two combo. Before his friends could figure out where I was I had gone to the side of the others.

One of the gunmen yelped as he felt an invisible hand clamp down on his shoulder, then he was being hurled at one of his partners.

The leader glanced at his partners, one unconscious on the floor and the other two in a crumpled heap, trying to get up.

I teleported directly in front of him, hoping to surprise him.

However, he must have caught the flicker my teleportation, because-

_**BLAM!**_

-he shot me.

I stumbled back as pain seared across my shoulder.

The last bank robber let out a small noise of surprise when I reappeared, the pain having broken my concentration.

I let that work to my advantage as I brought my foot up into his groin.

**CRASH!**

"Titans…go?"

I jerked my head around to see the entire team of teenaged superheroes standing in the now fully destroyed entrance.

"Yeah, Titans go get this fucking bullet out of my shoulder," I hissed painfully.

"Oh, friend Keith, you are damaged!" Starfire wailed as she flew over to me.

"You're goddamn right I'm damaged!" I growled through clenched teeth.

Starfire recoiled by my rudeness, but the bullet was a large caliber and I was in too much pain to care.

"Secure all these guys," Robin said in full leader mode. "Raven, see what you can do about Keith's wound.

"This may hurt a lot." Raven said as her hands glowed black with telekinetic power.

"Wait. Waitwaitwaitwait. Are you planning on pulling the bullet out of me with your powers?"

"Yes."

"Okay, just making sure. Pull away, and don't be offended by the amount of obscenities I'm going to say."

Raven didn't say anything; her eyes just glowed gray and I felt the bullet slide out the same way it came in. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, but it still hurt.

I also let out the stream of curses I had warned her about.

Raven's hands glowed blue, and the pain in my shoulder started to ebb.

"That's good," I near-purred.

"Glad you appreciate it," Raven said.

--

The four would-be bank robbers were loaded in the back of the police wagon, and I was being looked at by one of the paramedic.

"I'm telling you, I'm fine. Raven fixed me up in no time," I protested.

"I know, I've seen wounds that she's fixed before. I've never found any problems with them, but I still feel better if I check them," the attractive medic explained.

"No problem, ma'am, I understand."

"Could you please excuse us for a moment please?" I looked up to see Robin addressing the ambulance worker.

"Well, I guess I can give you a clean bill of health. I'm Susan Parker, in case you were wondering." Susan held out her hand.

"Keith Danes," I said as I gave her a firm handshake. "Pleased to meet you."

Susan smiled as she said goodbye, and I turned back to the Boy Wonder.

"So, what'd you want to talk to me about?" I asked with a smile.

"Those guys you took down have robbed three other banks across the city. We've been trying to get them, but they have it down to a science. They always get out before anyone shows up. With you slowing them down, they're going to jail."

"I kinda got that after I saw them being loaded into the back of the truck over there. And I thought they were too organized for first timers."

"I didn't think you'd be so observant."

"Well, I don't have anything on you, but look at who you were trained by. The freakin' Batman, dude. That's something I'll never be able to have over you. I had to figure out everything by myself. You had a mentor to show you the ropes. That's pretty cool."

Robin brushed the comment off before changing the subject. "Are you staying here in Jump?"

I gave him a funny look before answering. "Yeah, for a while at least."

"When you first met us, you indicated that you were leaving town quickly. Why did you lie?"

I felt like I was in a sudden interrogation. "I didn't lie. When I talked to you, I had every intention of leaving. I was working on the AFI tour and we were suppose to be leaving, well, now actually, but I was kicked off."

"Why were you kicked off?"

"My dad and uncle wanted me to get out of that lifestyle. I grew up with them on the road, working on all kind of tours, everything from .38 Special to the touring company of Cats. I loved it, but they wanted me out, so they kicked me off the tour. Kind of a dick move when you think about it."

"So you just decided to stay here?"

"Pretty much, yeah. I don't have any family anywhere else, at least that I know of, so this place is as good as any."

Robin still didn't seem satisfied. "Why do you keep stopping crimes all over the city?"

I snorted back a laugh. "I haven't been stopping crime all over the city. There was that Rancid guy yesterday, and then these guys today, and that's it. I've done other stuff in other cities, but that's only because I had the opportunity to do it. I'm not going to let shit go down if I can stop it."

I was surprised to see a smile come across Robin face. "I like hearing that. It makes me feel better about giving you this." He reached around behind him and pulled a yellow communicator out. "I want you to be a Titan. And if not a full Titan, at least an honorary one."

I put on my 'deep thought' face. "You guys are based here, right?"

He nodded.

"If I were to accept you offer and become a Titan, what would happen?"

"Well, you would live in our tower and receive a small stipend for protecting the city."

"So, free room and board, and I get paid for making sure bad shit doesn't happen. Is my food paid for as well?"

"Yes."

I snatched the communicator out of his hand and stuffed it in my pocket. "Great, where do you all live?"

"The big T in the middle of the bay. It's a little tough to miss."

"Great. I'll see you guys out there."

Before Robin could say another word, I teleported over to my bike and took off for the bay.

_You didn't get anything done at the bank._

_Dammit! Cricket, why do you always insist on messing up a good mood?_

_I'm good at it. Plus it's rather enjoyable._

_Asshole._

--

I drove across the land bridge to Titans Island, only after asking three people for directions. I got about two hundred feet from the building.

**Z-Z-Z-ZAAAP!**

"Holy shit!" I swerved to avoid the laser blasts that were being shot at me from all sides.

**Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-ZZZAAAAAAP!**

I pulled a tight U-turn and hightailed it back out onto the land bridge.

Cyborg pulled up behind me a minute later, and I was still panting.

"What the fuck do you guys have set up in there?" I yelled.

Cyborg burst out laughing.

"It's not funny! You could have killed me with that!"

"How close did you get to the Tower?" Cyborg asked between gasps.

"About a hundred feet before I turned around."

Cyborg immediately stopped laughing and stared at me. "A hundred feet? Really?"

"Yeah, but what was that?"

Cyborg's face was a mixture of disappointment and anger. "Nobody's supposed to be able to get that close to the Tower. Nobody. I upped the security systems after Slade and his army marched up on the shores last year."

"Sounds like that was fun. Now is there a way in the Tower that doesn't involve me being shot with a large amount of lasers, or do you just like filling new recruits with holes?"

Cyborg snickered at that. "I just don't like seeing anything with my tower go wrong. You understand."

"Yeah, man, I got you. Now can I just teleport inside or will I be blasted if I do that too."

"You'll get blasted."

"Of course."

"Well, if you're with one of us, you'll be fine. At least you should be fine."

I cut my eyes back at the mechanical teen. "Real reassuring there, Cyborg."

"Hey, if you can get that close to the Tower before turning back, you should be able to get away from any internal defenses while I fix them."

"I refer you to my last comment."

"Just come on."

--

I rode into the Titans garage, tailing the T-car closely. I dismounted as the rest of the Titans piled out of their car. I stuck close Robin and Cyborg as we filed into the elevator, and up to a security room.

"Are you sure that I'm not going to get shot at in here? Because I've been shot at enough today. I really don't need any more."

"Yes, you're fine. You won't get shot at unless we want you to get shot at," Cyborg said with a smile.

"You revel in fucking with me, don't you?"

"You know it."

Robin moved beside me silently. "If you're going to be a Titan, you're going to need to tone down the language. You need to be a good role model for the people of this city."

"Yeah, see, you didn't mention anything about being a good role model. I've never been a role model. Hell, I've never even _had_ a good role model."

"So you don't want to become a Titan?" Robin looked confused, even though I didn't know why.

"I never said that I didn't want to become a Titan. I said that I would have a problem being the perfect little role model you described. So don't be surprised if I screw up the language barrier, if you get my drift."

Robin was silent for a minute. "…Not all of us are perfect role models. None of us are."

"Gotcha."

"Since I take it you're serious about being a Titan, one of the first things to do will be to get you in our security systems, so the perimeter defenses don't try to kill you next time."

"That would be appreciated. Being shot at really isn't as fun as people make it out to be."

"I never said it was." Robin turned to the computer and punched in a few codes. "Okay, I need you to type in a personal code for your access. Make sure it's something you'll be able to remember but not easily figured out, and also—"

"Done," I said, standing back up from where I had leaned over the keyboard.

Robin looked at the screen. "Stonecutter? That password is—"

"Great," I cut him off. "At least I think so. And you were trained by the world's greatest detective, would you be able to guess it?"

"I suppose," Robin grumbled. He then pointed to a panel with what looked like a scanner of some sort on it. "Place your right hand here."

I did so without hesitation, a bad idea on my part, because the scanner sent an electrical shock up my arm. "Dammit! I thought that you said you guys weren't going to try to hurt me anymore today."

Cyborg grinned. "I said we wouldn't shoot at you. I didn't say we wouldn't hurt you. And besides, that shock was nothing. We take harder hits than that all the time in the field."

"Yeah, it didn't really hurt, and I've been shocked a lot harder than that, but you could have warned me." I tried to but as much disdain in my face as possible, but it wasn't working, and a smile broke through.

"You were messing with us, weren't you?" Cyborg asked, annoyance lacing his voice.

"Yeah, yeah I was."

"I'm going to kick your butt come sparring time."

"Bring it on, tin man, bring it on," I joked.

Robin brought my attention back to the task at hand. "You need a code name for field missions. I don't suppose you have one ready?"

I smiled. "Actually, I thought about that on the way over here. I'm going to be Ghost."

"Ghost? Why?" Robin seemed genuinely interested.

"It's a nickname from when I was a little kid. I loved playing pranks on the crew by turning invisible and messing with them. My dad started to call me a ghost cause I made the tour look haunted. Plus, it's just a cool name." I smiled broadly. "Better than Robin, anyway."

Robin growled, but seemed to ignore my comment. "Okay then Ghost, say your name into here for voice recognition."

I spoke into the microphone, saying my new codename and a few phrases that Robin specified.

We finally made our way up to the living room, where the rest of the team waited for us. "It is good to see that you have finished the necessary requirements to make sure that you will not activate the security devices upon entering the premises," Starfire said as she flew over to give me a hug.

However, I remembered her hug from yesterday and teleported out of the way. Starfire kept going and wrapped Robin up in her grip.

Beast Boy snickered when he saw Robin trying to get his breath back, and Starfire apologizing.

"So what else do I have to do now? I'm sure that there's something else. Unless it involves shooting at me. If it does, we can wait."

Cyborg broke out in an evil smile. "Well, there is the little matter of the initiation."

"Bring it on, tin man."

--

I flopped down on the curved couch two hours later, wearing a green backless evening gown, three-inch stiletto heels, and a purple turban. I had a plunger in my right hand and a unicycle in the other.

"You know, the thing with the plunger was really nasty. And what I had to do with the rubber chicken? I'm not sure that's legal."

"I said that during my initiation," Beast Boy said.

"Hey man, stop complaining, I had to do this thing twice," Cyborg grunted.

"And we've made improvements. This is better than our first initiation," Robin grinned.

"But now for the last portion of the initiation," Cyborg said ominously. "You have to wash the dishes." He directed my attention to the pile of dishes.

"Well, fuck." I stared at the mountainous challenge before me. "Anything living in there?"

"It growls whenever someone comes near," Raven droned.

I rummaged around in the cabinets for the cleaning supplies, hoping there was enough in the Tower. After arming myself, I tackled the growling mass.

--

"Hey man, how's it going?" Cyborg's booming voice came from behind me. All the Titans had abandoned watching me an hour ago. Apparently he wanted to make sure I was still alive.

"I've had to do this thing twice, so I know how bad it can be. How about you wash and I dry?"

I was shocked at his offer, but quickly accepted. "Thanks man, this is great."

_buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz_

"Hold on a second, my crotch is vibrating," I said as I pulled my phone from my pocket, ignoring Cyborg's confused and disgusted look.

"Hey, who's there? … Baran? Yeah, what's going on? … Jenny said she's going to be at Vine tonight? Great, I'll see her there. … Yeah, c'ya later."

I put my phone away and saw a strange look on Cyborg's face.

"Any particular reason you look like you just got hit with the worse news ever?"

Cyborg spoke slowly. "Yeah. Is Jenny a pink haired girl, real pale skin, with cat-like pupils?'

I nodded. "And one of the best kissers I've ever met."

"Baran, he's real big, muscular, red hair, not to bright?"

I nodded again. "Any reason you're asking about my girlfriend and my new buddy?"

Cyborg looked down before staring me straight in the eye. "Yeah. Um…Jenny and Baran are criminals by the names of Jinx and Mammoth."

I shook my head. "No they're not."

Cyborg was startled by the fact that I wasn't protesting in my statement, but rather calmly explaining.

"I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but they are. I've fought them, and I know them. They are criminals. And I can show you."

"They aren't criminals, but lead the way."

Cyborg led me away from the mostly finished dishes and over to a computer. He typed in a few commands, and a video file of a fight came up.

Cyborg pointed with a mechanical finger. "This is Mammoth and this is Jinx. Are they the guys you're talking about?"

"Those are them, but I'm telling you, they aren't criminals. At least not now. And Jenny wears her hair down now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that they aren't criminals anymore. At least not Baran and Jenny. I don't know about the midget there. Never met him."

"That's Gizmo. And how do you know that they aren't criminals?"

I sighed, growing tired of the argument. "Jenny told me. I believe her."

"Why? She's a criminal!"

"No she's not. And I believe her because she hasn't done anything to make me not believe her. But I see that I'm not going to get you to understand, so I'm going to prove it to you. Just as soon as I finish the dishes."

--

Cyborg parked the T-car a block away from Vine, and we walked up. Baran was standing outside the front door, working as a bouncer. He scowled as I walked up.

"What's **he** doing here?" Baran growled.

"He's with me. Now, I have a serious question for you. Are you a criminal?"

"No. And I'm not about to lie to a friend, unlike some people," Baran snarled.

"Look, I'm sorry for doing that, and you know that, but it was a long time ago! Get over it!" Cyborg snapped.

"Guys! Stop! If you're going to argue do it somewhere else. And we have someone else to talk to now." I pulled Cyborg along, past Baran and into the club. I didn't see Jenny at the bar and walked back to talk to Baran.

"Where's Jenny?"

Baran glared at Cyborg once more before answering. "She's working over on the bar side. This is the club side. Go inside and turn right. There's a doorway over there that's labeled. If she's not there, I don't know where she is."

"Thanks man." We followed Baran's directions, and found the pink-haired beauty manning the bar, listening to one of the patrons telling an outlandish tale.

I watched for a minute before she noticed me. Her eyes brightened when she saw me, but darkened when she saw Cyborg.

_What the hell happened between these guys?_

_I don't know._

_I know you don't know cricket, or else you would have spoken up by now._

_Well, it can't just be that they used to fight all the time. That would constitute dislike. Baran and Jenny are definitely angrier than that. They have contempt written on their faces._

Jenny came over and stood before me, hands on her hips and frowning. "What's **he** doing here?"

"You know Baran asked the same thing? What do you have against him?"

"He betrayed us. And that was worse than anything we ever did. We were criminals, terrorists, thieves, yeah; but we stayed true to those who trusted us."

I turned to face my new teammate. "Alright, what the hell did you do to make them hate you so much?"

"They used to work for a group called the H.I.V.E. They were planning something big, something that could destroy the entire coast, and we needed to figure what it was. I was sent in to investigate. I gained their trust and found out their plans. The other Titans and I stopped them, but I ended up being friends with a lot of the people there. I just didn't know how hard some people took it."

Jenny's eyes burned pink. "Didn't know how hard we took it!" she exploded. "We've been betrayed before, and yeah, it's not uncommon in the underworld, but you were on our team, and our friend, and to us that was as good as family! And I really liked you! And you threw that away like it was nothing!"

Cyborg looked away, ashamed. "You know why I had to do what I did. And you could have come with me."

"No I couldn't have, and you know it. And don't try signing me up for the Titans. I'm not a good guy. Right now I'm perfectly happy being a civilian now. And don't even think about talking to Baran. He took your betrayal harder than me, and you know he's not cut out for hero work."

The three of us stood there, no one talking, everyone staring, for quite some time. Finally, I broke the silence.

"I have something else to tell you."

Jenny's head spun to face me so fast her neck cracked. "What is it?"

Slowly, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my new T-comp. "Heh-heh…I'm a Titan."

Jenny smacked herself in the forehead. "Fuck! I fell for another good guy!"

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**And so ends another chapter. See you next time. And remember that writers live and die on the feedback of others, so review.**

**(1) per diem - an amount of money a roadie gets daily for food and other misc. items.  
**


	3. Training

**Here's the chapter. Tell me what you think.**

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I walked through the maze of hallways, trying to find my way to the kitchen. I passed by door after door, all the same color and type. It was confusing, to say the least.

And after getting shot at yesterday, there was no way I was opening any doors.

"Friend Ghost? Why are you out here in the small hours of the morning?" Starfire's innocent voice rang down the hall.

"Trying to find some food. I spent enough time in there yesterday to know what it looks like, but I seem to have become lost."

"Oh, I am most sorry. I can help you find your way to the kitchen. And since you have passed the initiation, I shall prepare the Feast of Welcome! Let us go!"

I was about to say something, but Starfire grabbed my arm and took off flying down the hallway. I was dragged down two flights of stairs before I was able to pry her arm off of me. I could've teleported out of her grip, but I didn't want to teleport in an unfamiliar location and I would probably ended up lost again.

"Starfire, Starfire, slow down! I'm hungry, but if my arm gets ripped off, that's a bigger concern! We can just walk there." I rubbed my shoulder, glad it hadn't dislocated from the sudden jerk. "Actually, walking would probably help me remember more."

"But flying is glorious! It allows anyone to feel unbridled joy!"

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Yeah, well, I'm not a person who likes to fly. B.A. Baracus likes flying more than me."

"How can you not like to fly? That is a terrible thing to say!" Starfire was upset, but I wasn't about to lie to her.

"It may be a terrible thing to say in your eyes, but would you rather I didn't tell you the truth?"

"No! The truth is most necessary."

"Well, you may not be able to handle the truth, but I'm gonna give it to you anyway. I don't like flying. I never have. I doubt I ever will. Please try not to grab me and take off like that anymore."

"I do not like that," Starfire said with downcast eyes, "but I will try to respect your wishes to the utmost of my abilities."

Not one to like seeing girls sad, I spoke again. "Don't worry about me. Just because I don't like flying doesn't mean other people don't. I bet Robin would love it if you grabbed him and took him flying. And I don't let him tell you no. He's going to love it, especially if you don't let him know what you're doing first. Take him on a flight around the city. I'm sure he'll enjoy it."

"Glorious idea! I shall do that as soon as I see him."

_You do know that Robin's not going to like this little plan._

_Yes, cricket, I'm aware of that, but he shouldn't have made me do that thing with the rubber chicken._

_Point._

"This is the kitchen and it really is much better as you cleansed the growling mountain of dishes yesterday. And where did you go afterwards? We did not see you or friend Cyborg for quite some time after you finished."

My voice was stern. "I'd rather not talk about it. And I asked Cyborg not to talk about it either. It's not anything that concerns anyone outside of us."

"…I see," Starfire said, disappointment lacing her voice. "But if you ever want to talk, I will be overjoyed to listen."

"I hear ya Star, but don't count on it." I gave her a smile to try to lift her spirits, but it didn't work until we reached the kitchen.

Robin was sitting on a stool at the kitchen bar, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper. "Morning Starfire, Ghost," he greeted before going back to what he was doing.

I nudged Starfire. "Hey, don't you have something to do with Robin?"

Her eyes widened as she remembered. She flew over and grabbed Robin by the arms, and flew him out the window I had just opened. Robin was shouting protests and I was laughing. "Take him all around the city, Star," I called after her. "Don't come back until after lunch!"

I heard the clunking of titanium feet behind me long before Cyborg's hand clamped down on my shoulder. "You have a dangerous smile on your face. Tell me you didn't just do something evil."

I smiled wider. "I just convinced Starfire to kidnap Robin and take him on an impromptu flight around the city. I told not to come back till after lunch."

I turned around to see Cyborg staring at me wide-eyed and mouth agape. "…Dude…not even Beast Boy has done something that big before. That's one thing no one does, is mess with Robin like that."

I smirked. "Well, if no one messes with him, he's obviously long overdue."

"Yeah, that's a bad idea. And don't be surprised if Robin comes back and tries to kill you."

"It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to do that," I laughed as I poured myself a cup of coffee. Bringing it to my lips, I grimaced. "That is some weak-ass coffee."

Another wide-eyed look. "Are you kidding me? Robin made that stuff, and he got it from Batman, and that guy never sleeps. And you're saying that stuff is weak?"

"…Yeah. That's about the size of it."

"You're insane."

"Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to brew some real coffee."

After fixing coffee and watching Cyborg's eyes bug out when he tried a sip, I went down to the training room­­, and proceeded to work out.

"Don't tell me you're going to be a workaholic, 'train all day' type guy like Robin, are you?"

I stopped beating the punching bag into submission and looked over to see the green changeling of the team leaning his head in the half opened doorway. He pushed the door open all the way to have a bucket of blue paint empty on his head.

"No," I smirked, "I'm not."

Beast Boy wiped the paint away from his face, groaning. "Dude, I'm the prankster on the team, not you," he whined.

I shrugged, tossing him a towel. "You may be the prankster of the team, but that doesn't stop me from getting revenge on everybody for the initiation last night. I still can't believe the thing with the chicken was legal."

Beast Boy laughed. "Believe it dude. If it wasn't, Robin wouldn't have let us do it."

"Yeah, I got him back too."

Beast Boy immediately looked scared. "You didn't! That's a bad idea. He's not known for his sense of humor."

"Please, I'm being nice. All I did was convince Starfire to take him on a flying tour of the city, and not bring him back before lunch. And if he ends up enjoying himself, I get to mess with him again. It's a win-win situation."

"If you say so. But don't try messing with Raven. She doesn't take to pranks well. And by that she usually throws me off the side of the Tower whenever I do something to her."

"Good to know. And she really didn't do much except watch. There's not much reason to mess with her. You and Cyborg on the other hand…watching your back wouldn't be a bad idea."

Beast Boy shrugged and stepped forward a bit, looking for any other traps. "You want to go a few rounds?"

I did a few fake kung fu stances and ended in the Neo 'come here' stance before Beast Boy started laughing. "We are going to get along so well."

I stepped back into my normal fighting stance, a modified boxer's stance. "Come on, let's go. First to three falls."

--

"STARFIRE!" Robin yelled over the whipping wind. "PUT ME DOWN!"

Starfire slowed and set down on roof. "I am only doing as friend Ghost suggested. He does not enjoy flying, but he believes that you would be more receptive."

"So you just grab me and take off without warning?" Robin asked, doing his best to calm down.

"Friend Ghost informed me that you would enjoy it more if you were unaware of my plan. Was he incorrect?"

Robin gritted his teeth and answered her. "No, not telling me was not a way to make me enjoy it more."

"But we should use the time to relax. You have been working to hard lately."

"No I haven't," Robin snapped back, more harshly than he intended.

Starfire looked shocked, but quickly recovered. "If you were not stressed, you would not be speaking to me so."

Robin sighed, regaining his composure. "…You're right. Maybe I have been working too hard. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm sorry."

Starfire smiled sweetly. "Do not worry, you are forgiven. But you do need to slacken upwards."

Robin held back a breath of laughter. "The phrase is 'loosen up', Star."

"Thank you, Robin. Now will you allow yourself to join me on a tour of the city?" she asked, pouting her lips ever so slightly, giving Robin puppy dog eyes.

"……I guess I can let Cyborg test Ghost for part of the day, but we need to go back right after lunch. Okay?"

Starfire wrapped Robin up in a tight hug, spinning around and floating up in the arm several feet. "Glorious! We shall continue as friend Ghost suggested, with a flight around the city."

Robin sighed. That wasn't really the way he had planned on spending the day, and the tabloids wrote enough about him and Starfire as it was. If they saw them flying around with him in her arms…that wasn't something he wanted to think about. "If that's what you really want, but let's try not to be seen. I don't like drawing too much unnecessary attention outside of crime fighting."

"Glorious!" Starfire grabbed Robin underneath his arms and took to the skies, smiling all the way.

--

I blocked Beast Boy's first punch, but barely. He was faster than he looked. But he was a Titan, so it wasn't really unexpected.

His second punch grazed my ear.

_That was too close for comfort._

I grabbed his arm and punched him in the chest. He took it well, and spun out of my grip.

He flashed me a stupid grin and I smirked.

Beast Boy jumped forward and I held firm, confident that I could use it against him.

Then he turned into a gorilla.

…_Dammit_.

I teleported out of the way of his charge, now facing his back, just out of his reach. He turned into a snake striking at me blindingly fast, and coiling around my legs. I tried to kick him off but only succeeded in tripping myself.

THUD!

Beast Boy unwrapped himself from my legs and changed back into his normal, snickering self. "You should have seen your face! You were all like—WHOA—and stuff."

"Be careful, Beast Boy, your eloquence is showing," I deadpanned, thoroughly sarcastic.

The smallest sound of laughter came across the room. I looked over to see Raven watching us spar. "Are we having fun watching the new guy fall on his face?" I put my hand on my hips in a mock-aggravated stance.

"Yes." She brought her hand up to cover the smile she was wearing.

"No fair!" Beast Boy shouted. "Not fair at all! You've been here a day and you're already making her laugh? I've been trying for years! What's up with that?"

I pushed myself off the floor, groaning. "Stop complaining. You're up one fall to none."

"Alright, I'm winning. Let's keep going."

I smiled and motioned for him to attack me again. "Your move, greenie."

The changeling rushed me and I disappeared myself, running around behind him.

"Can't fight what you can't see," I said, my voice low.

He whipped around to where my voice had come from, hands on guard.

I teleported behind him and tapped him on the shoulder before teleporting back ten feet as he swung an arm around.

I teleported all around the room, popping in at random spots and calling his attention, confusing him well enough to have him let down his defense.

"This isn't funny!" he called out.

I appeared directly behind him. "Boo," I said as I grabbed him in a full nelson.

flickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflickerflicker

I teleported Beast Boy fifteen times before releasing him twenty feet above the floor. I flickered down to the ground and watched him fall, breathing only slightly heavier than normal.

**WHAM!!!!**

Beast Boy hit the ground like a ton of bricks, bouncing slightly before settling down in pain, groaning.

"Good grief, man, that was kind of rough." I turned around to see Cyborg standing next to Raven; both of them watching us fight.

"Dammit, how did you know that we were sparring in here?"

"I was coming down here to train," Raven said.

"I was checking the security systems and saw you on the cameras," Cyborg answered.

"Ohhh, God that hurt," Beast Boy moaned as I turned my attention back to him. "Why do I hurt so much now?"

"When I teleport, as far as I can figure," I explained, "Everything gets ripped apart and put back together somewhere else. That's what I guess happens anyway. I really don't know how it works. But I do know that the strain put on the body sucks for anyone not used to it. I've been doing this since I was four, so it doesn't matter much to me. And whenever I take someone along, I take all of their strain, or as much as I can."

"There's no way that you took my strain," Beast Boy said, sitting up.

"Well, I was sparring you, so I didn't take it easy on you. If I have an advantage, I'm going to use it. And be glad I didn't 'give up' any of my strain. You probably wouldn't be moving if I had."

Beast Boy groaned again as he peeled himself off the floor and on his feet. "Just give me a second to get everything back together and we'll go again. Just don't do that again. It was worse then when Raven teleports us."

"And just what is wrong with my teleportation?" Raven growled as her head snapped to attention.

Beast Boy put his hands up in a defensive motion. "There's nothing wrong with it! I swear! It's just…it's all cold and dead and creepy. But his," he jerked his thumb at me, "his hurts and is just…something else."

"So why's mine automatically worse?" I questioned.

"Well…it's not really worse as it is different. And the one that causes me pain is automatically worse, so…yeah. And Raven never tried to knock me out with it."

--

Robin motioned for Starfire to set down in the more wooded area of the park, as so that they wouldn't be seen.

"That was most enjoyable, do you not think so, friend Robin?"

Robin looked at the Tamaranian princess and smiled. "Definitely better then when you give me a lift in the middle of a battle."

Starfire giggled softly and smiled, in her trademark method that lifts the spirits of all those around her. "What do you wish to do now that we have finished the joys of flight?"

"Well, you did pull me away before I got a chance to get breakfast, so food sounds like a good idea."

Starfire hovered a few feet off the ground, offering her hand to Robin. He shook his head, saying, "Let's just walk there. Flying's fine, but walking can be just as good or better sometimes."

"…Glorious!" Starfire set back down, "So walk we shall."

They walked through the woods in silence for several minutes before Robin spoke.

"What do you think of Ghost?"

Starfire didn't answer immediately, much to the surprise of the Boy Wonder. "…I believe that he will make a fine addition to the team, even if he is somewhat crude at times."

"He really does need to work on keeping the cursing to a minimum, doesn't he?" Robin snorted out a small laugh. "It's not like it's unexpected, considering how he was raised."

"What do you mean, friend Robin?"

He paused a moment, "Well, when I was younger I was in a position to talk with roadies, and they all had some of the foulest mouths I've ever heard."

"…I have not heard you ever speak so openly about your past before," Starfire said softly.

"It's not something that I like to discuss. And if anyone knows too much, they might be in danger. That's something I don't want to happen."

Starfire placed her hand reassuringly on Robin's shoulder. "I shall respect your wishes and not delve further, but it you ever need someone to speak with, I shall be present."

A beat.

"That really means a lot to me, Star."

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

Robin pulled his communicator out of its holster and it opened with a Star Trek sound. "Robin here."

Cyborg's face appeared on the screen. _"Hey man, Beast Boy and Ghost are in here sparring and they're both doing really well."_

"Beast Boy and Ghost? No offense meant to either of them, but they don't seem like the types to train on their own, much less spar each other."

"_Not my place to question, and didn't Beast Boy do this same thing with you the other day?"_

Robin let a smile crack his face. "Yeah, I guess he did. So they're both doing well?"

"_Yeah, they seem about evenly matched. Ghost doesn't look like he's ever had real professional training, but he's making up for that with quick thinking and just a bunch of weird stuff that is completely unexpected. And Beast Boy's fighting a lot better than I've seen in a while."_

"Maybe Star and I should come back now."

Cyborg's face split into a wide grin. _"Now I don't want to do anything that will cut short your time together."_

Robin's face quickly shifted to steel. "What was that?"

"_Never mind. Stay if you want, come back if you want, but we have things covered back here. Don't worry."_

"Fine. Robin out." He closed the communicator and looked at Starfire. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I do not understand. What do you mean?" Starfire had a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm leaving it up to you. What do you want to do: go back to the Tower and watch Keith, or stay out here?"

Starfire didn't speak for a moment. Robin was expecting a quick answer, as the princess always seemed to always go with her first instinct. And her first instinct was almost always right.

"I wish to go back to the Tower. While I would enjoy expending time with you in the urban environment, it is important to make sure that friend Ghost works well with all the team. And he is quite humorous at times."

"Back to the Tower it is then."

--

Beast Boy and I circled each other in our fighting stances, more defensive than we had been and more cautious than we had to be. We moved closer, taking jabs and blocking them easily.

"Come on guys," Cyborg coached from the sidelines. "This is getting boring! Make a move!"

Raven stood by his side, silent and unmoving. "………………um, go?"

Beast Boy moved in closer, edging to the outside while I did the same.

JAB-JAB-CROSS!

BLOCK-BLOCK-COUNTER!

I grabbed Beast Boy's arm and tried to throw him to the ground by kicking out his leg.

He went with my throw, flipping me off him by using my weight.

I righted myself and landed in a sliding crouch. I dashed in and threw a few punches at Beast Boy's head, more of a distraction than an actual attempt to hit him.

Beast Boy was on his feet and quickly transformed to a wolf. He leapt at me, and I teleported away quickly.

He leapt at me five more times and I teleported away five more times.

He leapt at me and I prepared to teleport away once again, but he disappeared in midair.

Almost disappeared.

Beast Boy had actually turned into a fly and landed on my head. He transformed into a tiger and I crumpled to the ground, the large green mammal on my back.

"Beast Boy's up two to one over Ghost," Cyborg called from the sideline as the tiger became an elf once again. "Come on Ghost!"

"What?!" Beast Boy protested. "You're supposed to have my back, dude! It ain't cool to have your best friend root against you!"

Cyborg called back, "I root for the underdog. Usually, that's you. But now we got the new guy fighting an experienced Titan. I'm going to root for Ghost."

Beast Boy looked a little disgruntled. "…………………whatever."

"So just because I'm the new guy, that means I'm automatically the weakest here? That about right?" I asked defensively.

Cyborg raised his hands in a 'don't hurt me' fashion. "Hey, don't take it the wrong way. I just meant that Beast Boy is an experienced fighter who has worked with us for several years and the Doom Patrol before us. Have you ever been on a team like that?"

I frowned, knowing exactly where he was going with this. "………no."

"That's my point. Beast Boy has experience. That kinda makes you the underdog."

"Yeah, well, that's the thing I just asked you," I shot back. "I'm the new guy on the team so I'm the weakest. And you just confirmed it."

Cyborg opened his mouth but closed it when he realized I was right. "He's got you there," Raven said.

"Whatever," I grumbled, slightly bitter. "Let's just do this. It's two to one."

Beast Boy shrugged and dropped back in fighting stance. I tensed up and inched towards the shape shifter.

I was five feet away when Beast Boy became a grizzly bear and swiped at me. I teleported onto his back and punched him in the back of head.

_Note to self: Don't punch grizzlies in the back of the head. It just makes them mad._

Indeed, Beast Boy roared and tried to pull me off his back. I maneuvered around his claws and I felt Beast Boy's flesh start to shift and I was quickly surrounded by a giant anaconda.

All the air in my lungs was quickly being squeezed out and I had to teleport out quickly.

I was across the room but the giant green snake crossed the distance before I had a chance to catch my breath.

I teleported across the room again, only to be faced with the serpent a second later. I repeated the action twice more with the same result.

I turned invisible in an effort to get my wind back and try to formulate a plan. I got about ten seconds before Beast Boy figured out where I was.

I flickered to just behind Beast Boy's snake head and punched him in the eye. I dropped down quickly and Beast Boy turned back into an elf, clutching his eye.

I teleported in close to him while he was occupied by the pain, and drove an uppercut deep into his gut. I hit him with my forearm on the back of his neck, making him fall to the ground.

I stepped back and looked over at Raven and Cyborg. "Am I still the underdog?" I asked with a smirk.

"You still have another round to go," Raven said.

"And you still don't have as much experience as Beast Boy," Cyborg added.

"Yeah well, the gloves are off now," Beast Boy said and my head turned back to face him.

A light bulb went off in my head and I smiled evilly.

_Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?_

_Cricket, you know exactly what I'm thinking; you're in my head._

_Nice idea._

"Hey greenie, this is anything goes, right?" I asked Beast Boy.

He thought for a moment then answered. "I want you to stay away from nut shots, but more or less, yeah."

"Great. Ready to go?" Beast Boy took a deep breath and nodded.

We fell back in our stances once again and I was relaxed this time. I didn't edge in and I was smiling devilishly.

Beast Boy noticed my look and he edged back.

_flickerflicker_

I teleported twice and was three feet away from Beast Boy……………holding his uniform in my hand.

"Dude, what the hell?!?!" Beast Boy looked down at his naked body and quickly covered himself with his hands.

"You said the gloves are off. I took that to heart." I took advantage of his unbalanced and shaking body by pushing him to the floor.

"And that is your third fall. I win. And here are your clothes. I suggest putting them back on."

I walked over to Cyborg and Raven, the former was on the floor laughing hysterically and the latter was trying her hardest not to laugh, and not succeeding.

"Hahahahehehe—that was one—hahehe—of the—hoheheh—funniest things ever!" Cyborg gasped out before collapsing into laughter again.

"That really was funny," Raven said, composing herself much better than her metal teammate had.

"So not cool!" Beast Boy yelled as he ducked behind a stack of weights to pull his jumpsuit back on.

"You agreed anything goes," I reasoned.

"But—Dude, come on!" Beast Boy emerged from behind the weights………his jumpsuit on backwards.

"You may want to check your uniform again. There seems to be something wrong," I said, my voice even.

The green changeling jumped back behind the weights to change his uniform and we all laughed again. Well, Cyborg and I did. Raven just smiled, but I was told that was better than most people ever got.

"That was a good spar though, I'm actually feeling that. Course I don't usually have to teleport this much with another person in such a little span of time. Kinda wears on the body. Don't you think so?"

Raven looked at me, her face deadpan once again. "As Beast Boy mentioned earlier, my teleportation is different than yours. The worse part about my methods is the coldness and a slight tingling sensation."

"Well that's not so bad. I rip myself apart and that's just not pleasant."

--

Starfire set down on the roof of the Tower, a smile quite apparent on her face. She reluctantly placed Robin on the ground, drifting back a few feet to give him his space.

"Let's go see what Ghost is doing," Robin said. "He should still be in the gym with Cyborg and the others."

"Yes, let us go see his progression," Starfire said as she floated into the waiting elevator.

The two stood in a comfortable silence as the elevator descended.

DING!

The elevator doors opened to show a sweaty Ghost, disgruntled Beast Boy, chuckling Cyborg and an expressionless Raven.

"Should I ask what happened here?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," I spoke for the group. "Me and greenie were having a nice friendly spar, and those two decided to come watch. Didn't even ask if it was a private session, just barged right in the middle of matches when we were distracted. It was rather rude and I was slightly offended by it." I paused, gauging everyone's reactions. "I really hope you guys get used to my sense of humor soon, or this isn't going to be anywhere near as much fun."

"So who won the spar?" Robin inquired.

"Yes! You must inform us of the victor," Starfire said, clasping her hands in anticipation.

"It was a friendly spar, so no one really won, but it ended three to two in my favor," I shrugged.

"Yeah, well, you only got that last one because of a dirty trick," Beast Boy grumbled.

"If have an advantage, I'm going to use it. I can't make that clear enough."

Robin raised a side of his eyemask. "What kind of dirty trick did he use? And I don't need a demonstration."

I snapped my fingers. "Darn! And I was thinking I was going to have more fun."

Beast Boy shot me a glare. "He teleported over, grabbed me, and then teleported off with my uniform, leaving me behind! Completely naked!"

I shrugged. "Not my fault you don't wear boxers or something underneath your uniform."

Beast Boy turned a shade of red, a strange sight against his green skin. "Yeah, well…they ride up if I do wear something like that."

"More information than I needed there greenie," I commented. "And on that note, I'm going to go take a shower." Before anyone could argue, I walked off towards the locker room.

"His fighting style is certainly interesting," Raven said, moving to Robin's side. "Unorthodox to be certain, and he needs to be trained further, but you were right when you said that he has the makings of a good fighter."

"High praise, coming from you," Robin stated.

"And you inviting him to be on the team wasn't?" Before Robin could answer, she walked away, going over to Cyborg.

--

The warm water ran down my body as I massaged my muscles, trying to reduce the amount of soreness I was bound to feel. I knew there wasn't any way to avoid it altogether, especially after being beat around by bears and snakes and whatnot.

And even though I didn't show it during the fight, that much teleporting took more out of me than I had thought it would. I didn't usually have to do it that much, and taking someone with me drained me than usually. It didn't help that I had lied either. I had taken about half the strain of the teleportation string from Beast Boy, but I didn't want to tell him that.

After a few more minutes I turned the water off and made my way over to where I had dropped my clothes. But I caught I glimpse of myself in the full body mirror and I had to laugh.

I always laughed when I was in this situation. Given the fact that I had been doing manual labor everyday since I was twelve, I had gotten quite muscular. Not big and bulky like Cyborg or someone who worked at getting strong, just toned and muscular.

Also due to the fact that while I worked, I usually did so without a shirt, the top half of me had taken on a deep tan. However, I wore almost nothing but jeans and my biker boots, the bottom half of me was stark white. A funny sight if there ever was one.

I reached down for my clothes when I realized something. "Dammit," I muttered and walked the door of the locker.

Raven redded slightly when she saw me and turned around. Everyone except Starfire covered their eyes and groaned. I looked down to see what they were reacting to and realized I didn't have any clothes on.

"Sorry guys, but I don't know where you keep the towels in there and my clothes are all sweaty and nasty so I have to go to my room to grab some clean ones."

"Couldn't you teleport?" Cyborg asked, still shielding his eyes. "And cover up man!"

I turned the bottom half of me invisible. "I could teleport if I had to, but I still don't know the layout of the building that well and I don't want to end up in a wall or something. So I walk."

"I still do not understand Earth and its preoccupation with making sure people are covered," Starfire said innocently.

I raised an eyebrow and Robin explained. "On Tamaran, not only are they more open about their feelings, nudity's not such a big deal either."

"Yeah, I'll never forget the time she hopped in the shower with you Robin," Beast Boy chuckled. "You couldn't look at her without blushing for weeks!"

"One time I fell asleep and I woke up duct taped to the side of a building completely naked. Not a big deal after that," I shrugged. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go get dressed, provided I don't get lost on the way to my room."

"Hold on a moment." Raven was back to normal and walking over to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder and I was suddenly surrounded by a complete blackness, chilling me to the bone and sucking the feeling from my body. A moment later Raven and I were standing in my room.

I shook my head, getting rid of the unpleasant feeling. "Beast Boy wasn't kidding when he said that sucked."

"I only did that because I didn't want a naked person wandering around the Tower," Raven said. "Don't take it any other way." And she teleported away.

"Weird chick," I mumbled and went off in search of a towel and clean clothes.

--

An hour later I plopped down on the couch between Beast Boy and Cyborg, a large sandwich in my hands. I watched silently as the other two played a game of Street Fighter.

"Argh!" Beast Boy moaned after losing for the fifth time in a row.

"You can't beat the master!" Cyborg gloated.

"Mind if I try?" I asked.

"Unfair!" Beast Boy crowed and I took the abandoned controller from him.

As Cyborg attacked, I had my character block most every one of his assaults, only taking slight damage.

"Aren't you going to attack sometime soon?" Cyborg asked angrily, his face red with frustration.

"I want to wait for the right time to go," I said plainly.

"Come on, fight back!" Cyborg barked.

"There it is!" I exclaimed, hit a complex button combination and Cyborg's character's health decreased by half.

Ten minutes later-

"There is no way I lost to you!" Cyborg crowed. "It's just not possible!"

I placed a hand on his shoulder in a hope of consoling him. "It's not so bad man, I've had a lot of time to practice."

"Yeah! Cyborg has fallen!" Beast Boy cried out in joy.

"What do you mean?" the metal teen asked, collecting himself.

"Well, before I was allowed to work the shows I was touring with, I played a lot of video games and watched a lot of movies. And I still do it a lot when we aren't working. But really, I'm really only this good with fighters and racers. Other games, not so much."

"Fine, rematch!" Cyborg swept over to the Gamestation and put in another game.

Twenty minutes later Cyborg was cheering because he once again the King of Video Games.

--

"Now we're going to test some of your physical limits," Robin said, clipboard in hand. "Climb the rope."

I smiled and grabbed the rope. "Start the timer."

I hand over handed my way up the rope, not bothering to wrap my legs around it. I rang the bell at the top after ten seconds and teleported back down.

"That was quick," Robin said.

"Yeah, well, I've been climbing a lot. And climbing ropes is pretty easy. I'm used to climbing oily, greased, motor chains. And I climb around the stages all the time. Not a big deal for me."

Robin stared at me for a moment. Or he could have been glaring. I wasn't sure with the eyemask.

"Do you ever take that thing off?" I asked, pointing to the black strip of fabric.

"No." His answer was definite and final, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Really? That seems kind of stupid to me." I noticed Robin wanted the subject dropped, but I didn't care. "And how the hell does it stay on? It's just hanging up there, defying gravity, giving the finger to the law of physics; it's kinda weird."

"It's a trade secret, now drop it."

"No problem, boss man."

Robin's eyemask twitched. "Don't call me 'boss man'."

"Well if the rumors are true, I guess I could call you 'Batman's fu—"

Robin held up a hand and cut me off. "Boss man is fine."

"So what next, boss man?"

"Endurance." I followed the Boy Wonder into another room, one with a large pool of water, and I gulped.

"I want you to swim as many laps as you can, full gear on."

I laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of my neck. "I can answer you that right now."

"Really?" Robin was skeptical.

"None. Zero. Nada. Can't swim."

"……………Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Never learned how. Being on the road did that to me. Little strange if you think about it. I've been climbing stages since I was four, riding a motorcycle since I was twelve, and defying natural laws of physics almost all my life, but I never learned how to swim."

"This is not going to be fun," Robin said, shaking his head.

--

I sat on my bed in my new room at the Tower, staring at the phone that lay on the table in front of me.

"Okay Keith, you can do this. Just pick up the phone and call her. Don't say anything stupid, just apologize." I reached out a hand hesitantly but snatched it back quickly.

"Come on, nothing to be scared of. Just a pink haired bad luck mistress who could hex me into next week…………I am really bad at psyching myself up."

"Yo, Ghost, dinner's ready! Come and get it!" Cyborg called from outside my room.

"Yeah, I'm not hungry right now, I'll get something later!" I yelled back.

A moment of silence.

_swish_

"That's complete crap and I know it!" Cyborg proclaimed, barging into my room.

"You know you should be more careful about coming into other people's rooms unannounced. I could have been in here looking at porn or something like that."

Cyborg ignored my comment and continued. "You're always hungry and I doubt you've ever passed up food. So what are you really doing?"

"Trying to summon the balls necessary to call Jenny and find out if she ever wants to speak to me again."

Cyborg sucked air through his teeth. "You may want to face her in person. Over the phone isn't always good with her, and talking face to face shows more effort." He paused. "On the other hand, face to face also means if she wants to hurt you she won't have to track you down."

"On the other hand, I have different fingerprints." I sighed. "But you're right. Talking face to face probably would be better. Harder to lie that way."

Cyborg put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry man. I worked and lived with her for a few weeks. So I know that if she's going to forgive you, she probably has done so already. If not, you've earned a mortal enemy," he laughed.

"Thank you. That last comment made me feel oh so much better."

"Just trying to help," he smirked.

"I'll see you later, provided Jenny doesn't kill me."

--

I stood outside the door to Jenny's apartment, scared out of my wits. I knocked on the door before the knocking of my knees alerted her to my presence.

Hardly a moment passed before the pink haired beauty opened the portal to her apartment. "What are you doing here?" she asked, a bite to her voice.

I winced. "I'm here to apologize for last night."

"Really? What for?" She placed her hand on her hip and I could definitely see why Baran said to stay on her good side.

"I'm not exactly certain about what I did, but I know I did something. You started complaining about how you always seemed to fall for the good guy, and then I tried to say something to make you feel better, and you hexed me through a window. And then you did the same to Cyborg."

"You should have told me you were becoming a Titan. Given me time to prepare myself for the shock."

"Why?" I was confused.

"When I was with the H.I.V.E., the Titans were our biggest enemies. And even though I've gone straight now, they still gave me hell for three years of my life! Forgive me for holding a grudge."

"Well I'm sorry, but that was the first time I saw you since I joined up. And it wasn't like I tried out or anything, some guys were robbing the bank, and I stopped them. I would have been gone before anyone showed up, but I got shot."

"Who shot you? I'll hex them into next week."

"Don't worry about me getting shot, Raven fixed me up pretty good. Didn't even leave any scarring. And the guy is in police custody now, so don't worry about it."

"But see, this is why you shouldn't be a Titan. You don't need people shooting at you," Jenny argued.

"Says the former terrorist," I countered.

"Key word there is _former_ terrorist," she rebuked. "I don't want the first guy I've liked in a long time to get shot up if he doesn't need to."

"Well what do you want me to do? I don't have a lot of training in a lot of different things. I can be a stagehand, which means I'm going to be on the road almost all the time. Or I can use my powers. And I'm not going to be a bad guy, so that leaves being a hero. And the Titans are the closest team, and I have a feeling being a solo hero wouldn't ease your nerves anymore than being on a team. Have I addressed all your concerns yet?" I put on a smile, trying to placate her.

"No, I'll think of something later. Now go away and let me stew." A dainty hand pushed me back.

"Am I going to be forgiven for whatever it is I did?"

"Probably. Not right now, but probably later on. Now get out." A small pink hex bolt forced me back a few steps, and the door slammed in my face.

I smiled, teleported inside, and planted a quick peck on Jenny's cheek. "I'm a teleporter. Door's don't stop me." I teleported off before she could say anything or take a swipe at me.

"Rrgrh." Jenny stomped her foot and the lights in the apartment flickered. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Her hand floated to the spot on her cheek where I had stolen a kiss. "And why can't I bring myself to hex him to bits?"

------------------------------------------------

**Another chapter done, yay for me. Now review. It makes the story better and I need ideas. I already have some ideas for the pairings, but who knows. And I need ideas in general. So review. Now. Little box down there. Why are you still reading? You should be reviewing. Come on. It doesn't even take that long. Please? For a person you probably will never meet? Wow, still reading? More persistent that most. But why aren't you reviewing? Do it! Do it.**


	4. First Fights

_**WREEET! WREEET! WREEET!**_

Robin's voice filled the Tower as the alarm blared. "Mumbo Jumbo is robbing a bank in the business district! Titans, go!"

I teleported myself down to the garage and jumped on my Harley. It roared to life and I peeled out of the Tower.

"_Ghost? Are you there?"_ Robin's voice filled my ears, startling me and nearly sending me off the land bridge.

"What the hell? Robin? Where are you? You aren't one of the normal voices in my head," I yelled as I regained control of my motorcycle.

"_I had Cyborg install a communicator in your helmet. We need to be able to keep in contact on missions, and we don't need you to be distracted by fumbling with your standard communicator."_

"Makes sense, but I wish you would have warned me about it before it freaked me out and nearly made me lose control. So what's going on?"

"_You need to be briefed on Mumbo Jumbo. I doubt you've ever fought anyone like him. He's a criminal who likes to use his stage magic to rob people."_

"Good to know. Anything else?"

"_Yes. Don't let him suck you into his hat. It puts you in a different dimension where Mumbo makes the rules. He also likes to sing about that fact in there. But the source of his power is his wand. Get it away from him and break it as soon as possible."_

"Got it boss man. Now stop talking to me so I can speed dangerously and recklessly through rush hour traffic."

"_What?!"_

"You heard me, and you do it too. At least I'm not on some stupid crotch rocket."

"_Pardon friends, but what is a 'crotch rocket'?"_ Starfire asked innocently.

"It's a motorcycle that makes you have to crunch up into a little ball and look like an idiot just to be able to ride it," I laughed.

"_You should watch what you're saying about Robin, man,"_ Cyborg cut in. _"He takes the R-cycle very seriously."_

"All I know is that it'll take a lot to get me off my bike and onto something like that. Ghost out, I need to concentrate."

I weaved in and out of traffic, getting angry calls from the drivers and others flipping me off.

The tell tale blue and red lights flashed behind me, and the cop car pulled up beside me, flagging me down.

_Shit!_

I braked and pulled off to shoulder, the officer walking up slowly, hand on holster. "Keep your hands where I can see them. Do you know why I pulled you over?"

I tried my hardest to keep my voice even and calm. "Is it because I was driving in and out of traffic recklessly and doing ninety in a forty-five?"

The cop paused a moment when he realized that was exactly why he pulled me over. "…Yes, actually, that is why. And since you obviously don't have a pregnant women with you, I don't see any good reason for doing stupid shit like that."

"There's a dude called Mumbo Jumbo robbing a bank. I need to get there to stop him. Faster is better."

"Stopping him is a job for the police and the Teen Titans. You have no business going there."

A cocky smile crossed my face before I could stop it. "Actually, I do have business down there." I held up my yellow communicator. "And it's legit, so don't think I'm messing with you."

If I had better hearing, I would have heard a low growl coming from the officer's throat. "…Fine, but your motorcycle needs to be clearly marked as one of the Titans so this won't happen. I may not like you Titans, but I'll be damned if I let you costumed freaks take up the time of the real protectors of the city. Get going."

I took a look at the name on his uniform before roaring off. _R. Kelton. Cricket, remember that name._

_Yeah, no problem._

I drove into the business district three minutes later, figuring I was getting closer by the fact that there were large white rabbits and playing cards littering the streets.

I saw a man surrounded by the Titans wearing a black tuxedo and top hat waving a wand around. I figured this was the guy we were after, but the fact that he had blue skin pretty much sealed the deal.

"You have got to be kidding me. The dude even has the dollar sign marked moneybag. How cliché can you get?" I asked to the air.

I swiftly turned invisible and started creeping towards the blue faced magician. Robin said that all I had to do was get the wand and avoid the hat and we would be golden. Why charge in guns blazing when stealth would work better?

**WHAM! CRASH! THUMP!**

I watched as a giant white rabbit swatted Beast Boy through a window and crumpled against a wall inside.

I glanced back and forth between Mumbo and Beast Boy. Beast Boy didn't get back up within the five seconds I gave him, so I tore myself away from my goal and teleported to Beast Boy's side.

"Come on, wake up greenie," I whispered urgently. "Get up! Bad shit going down, come on!" I shook his shoulders a bit. "Damn, you're a deep sleeper."

The changeling groaned, but didn't wake.

"Okay, think, think, think," I muttered, sitting on the remains of a round table. "What would wake greenie up? Oh, duh. Cyborg eating tofu!" I shouted into his ear.

Beast Boy shot up, looking around frantically. "Hah, I knew it! Where is he? I knew he'd agree with me!"

"Dude, shut up, I just said that to wake you up. A rabbit knocked you through a wall." I paused. "Never thought I'd be able to say that honestly." I shook my head. "Never mind, get back in the fight!"

I jumped back through the broken window, a gorilla right behind me. A giant playing card swept over to me and I punched the King of Hearts in the face. He whirled around to face me again when I stopped him.

"Hey how are you fighting anyway? You have a knife stuck in the side of your head."

The playing card glanced at what I was pointing to. "Oh dear me," he said, promptly crumpling to the ground.

More cards floated towards me, growling and shouting calls of vengeance for their fallen comrade.

"Guys, he did it to himself; he's not called the 'Suicide King' for nothing."

My words fell on deaf ears, however, and the cards attacked me. I pulled my knife from where it was sheathed on my boot and got it up as one of the other kings swung their sword.

I expected a clang but to my surprise the knife cut straight through the other blade. As the end of the severed blade drifted to the ground, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. A devilish grin spread across my face and a worried look was shared amongst the cards.

I spun around, cutting the cards closest to me and backing the others up, giving me a little room. They were more on guard now, something I didn't need.

Away from where I was, Beast Boy was in gorilla form wrestling back and forth with the oversized rabbit that had sent him through the window.

Starfire was throwing starbolts, vaporizing the cards that came near her. She was trying her hardest to move close enough to get the wand from Mumbo, but the card army was protecting the criminal magician.

Raven was fifty feet away, her arms and mouth bound by a handkerchief snake. She struggled and her eyes glowed dull white, but she was still being constricted to the point she couldn't concentrate enough to release herself.

Cyborg and Robin were fighting a gigantic rabbit; Mumbo perched on its shoulder. While the rabbit Beast Boy was fighting was six feet tall, Robin and Cyborg's was nearly eighteen feet in height. Robin hammered the towering figure with his Bo staff as Cyborg fired blast after blast from his sonic cannon.

The rabbit's hide proved too tough as it shrugged off the combined attacks as if they were nothing.

**BOOOOOM!**

The beast hopped high into the air, landing and creating a shockwave that knocked both Cyborg and Robin off balance.

I was still carving up the endless wave of cards that were attacking me, the puffs of smoke they disappeared into beginning to hinder my breathing. I glanced around and saw where the cards were fewest. Charging straight at them, I cut my way out of the circle I had been confined in.

"Starfire!" I yelled, causing the alien to jerk her head around. "Little help?" She saw that while she had destroyed most of those attacking her, I was in much worse shape.

"A singular moment please!" she called back and threw a few starbolts at her foes before rounding to face mine. "We shall conquer them together!"

"Um, Star? They're cards that disappear in a puff of smoke. Conquering, not such a big deal as just hitting them enough to make them go away," I pointed out as I fell another card soldier.

"Oh, right."

Elsewhere, Beast Boy was still locked in combat with his oversized hare. He grappled back and forth with it, neither one showing an edge until the rabbit shifted position and got better leverage, bending the gorilla Beast Boy back.

Beast Boy was almost overcome when he pivoted and threw the hare into the nearby wall, knocking it unconscious. Morphing back into his normal elfin state, he grinned.

"HA! Loser by a hare!" He snickered at his own joke before running over to join Cyborg and Robin.

I cut the nearby cards to smoke with my knife and Starfire bombed the group from above, keeping them from organizing into a proper attack formation. Eventually, the group was mostly destroyed.

"Star! Can you finish them of by yourself?" A quick nod was all I needed before I teleported off.

I reappeared at Raven's side, finding her still engulfed in her handkerchief bindings. I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to stop struggling.

"Don't move," I said, holding my knife in her eyesight so she knew what I was about to do. I grabbed the scarf encircling her mouth and cut it in one pass.

Her eyes burned white and I backed off instinctively. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she cried, and the rest of the bindings burst apart. "I **hate** fighting this guy," she growled as she took to the air flying towards Mumbo Jumbo.

I teleported over to the remaining battle, shoving my knife back in my boot as I went. Cyborg was strafing the outside of the battle, firing his sonic cannon in short bursts so as not to overheat the weapon.

Raven hovered on the edge of the battle, throwing the rubble created by the constant shockwaves at the beast.

Starfire grabbed Robin and flew him up to the head, close to where Mumbo was standing. He swung his staff and Mumbo ducked, causing Robin to hit the rabbit instead.

Beast Boy hopped around the feet of the animal as a kangaroo, landing powerful kicks whenever it was safe enough. Of course, the rabbit was jumping and creating more shockwaves than before so it was getting progressively harder to land the blows.

I was standing on the edge of the battle, knife in hand, but not really sure what to do.

_Okay, I'm a guy with a knife fighting an eighteen feet tall rabbit. What am I supposed to do to this guy? The knife won't do anything but piss it off, and I'm nowhere near strong enough to even get this thing's attention, much less beat it._

_You don't have to beat the monster, Robin told you exactly what you need to do._

_What are you—oh yeah, the wand! Thanks for reminding me._

I swiftly disappeared myself and calculated the best way to approach getting the wand away from the thieving villain.

I teleported up to a nearby roof, still invisible, and waited for my opportunity to get the wand.

Cyborg continued his sonic cannon assault and Starfire kept throwing starbolts at the rabbit. Robin threw an explosive disc as Raven telekinetically threw a gorilla Beast Boy at the massive animal.

Finally, the rabbit fell.

Mumbo jumped off his shoulder, and started to run. I took my shot and teleported down—

_flicker_

—grabbed the wand—

_flicker_

—and teleported off with it.

Ten feet from the blue magician, wand in hand, I snapped it neatly over my knee.

FWOOOOOOSSSSH!

The unconscious rabbit disappeared into a vortex of sorts, swirling out of existence. Mumbo tripped and a cloud of smoke poofed up around him.

I flickered over to him, wanting to make sure he didn't run any further. When the dust cleared, I was surprised.

Mumbo Jumbo wasn't the person lying on the ground. It looked like him somewhat, but only if Mumbo was an old man with gray hair and a big nose.

Robin grabbed the man and put him in handcuffs. "Don't even think about running."

As I watched the resulting scene unfold I felt a buzzing at the base of my skull. It didn't feel painful, more along the lines of a very mild and controlled electric shock. I grabbed the back of my neck, trying to make the buzzing go away, but it didn't work. Robin motioned for us to go and that the police had control of Mumbo. I hopped on my motorcycle, driving away and still trying to get rid of the buzzing.

--

In a side alley, a figure cloaked in the shadows watched the battle. Glowing red eyes pierced the darkness and the figure laughed.

"So they have a new member. This could be interesting. But this could be fortuitous. I shall have to study this new one further."

The red eyes faded away and the shadows masked the figure's departure.

--

As I neared the Tower, the buzzing faded away, but not before distracting me enough to make me almost crash several times. I crossed the land bridge, finding Robin waiting for me in the garage.

"I want you to type up the report on Mumbo. We need one for the archives and a hard copy in case something goes wrong with the computer."

I laughed. "Yeah, I was talking with Cyborg and I made the mistake of getting him on the subject of his computer system and how he believes that no one can get in."

Robin winced. "That was a bad move."

"I figured that out pretty quickly. So boss man, where's this report I have to do? I got shit I want to do today."

Robin gave me a look at the 'boss man' comment, but didn't say anything because he knew that would only cause me to give him a worse nickname. "Let's go."

"Lead the way. I'd get lost if I tried to find it myself."

--

"Okay, I know you beat Beast Boy yesterday, and you handled yourself well with Mumbo, but I want you to learn how to fight better," Robin said. "So, what training have you had?"

"None at all. At least no formal training. I've always been a natural born brawler so I've been in a lot of fights, but no real instruction or anything. And honestly, Beast Boy should have won that fight. I only beat him because I took his clothes away and he was too embarrassed to fight back. I don't know why he didn't think to just turn into an animal." I paused. "Where do his clothes go when he transforms anyway?"

Robin opened his mouth, and then faltered. "…I don't know. I don't really think I want to know."

I snickered for a moment before returning to the task at hand. "So, what do you want to teach me?"

"I want to get a basic idea for your fighting style before we get into a heavier training regiment, so today, you're just going to be sparring training robots. I don't expect you to do fantastic, but no one does on their first time. Do your best, and don't get too hurt."

Robin walked out of the training room and I saw him enter the control room. He gave me a thumbs up and I signaled I was ready.

A door opened and a nondescript robot entered the room. He came in slow, with obvious weaknesses in his stance. A few punches and a kick later I flipped the robot over my shoulder.

"Good," Robin's voice said over the speaker. "Keep it up."

For the next hour, Robin sent robot after robot after me, each one a smarter fighter than the last. I was getting tired and sore.

I punched the robot in the face and followed up with an uppercut to the ribs. I kicked my leg back and tripped a second robot coming up behind me. I flipped the second robot and it slammed into a third.

"Okay, I've got enough information. Come on up here, I want to talk"

_flicker_

"That's going to take some getting used to," Robin said as I appeared at his side.

"Sorry. So what do you want to talk about?"

"I noticed something. You weren't looking around for your next opponent, you just moved right to them even if they weren't in line of sight. If you had already had some training, I wouldn't be questioning this too much, but it's really rather strange since you haven't."

"Well, I've always been able to do that, know where things were around me. A really good spatial sense."

"Why didn't you tell me about this when we wanted to know what your powers were?"

"I don't consider it a power. I actually think its part of my teleportation. Just before I reappear I get a picture of wherever I'm coming into and I can alter my reentry slightly so I don't end up in a wall or something. Still don't like teleporting where I can't see it though. And besides, everyone has a spatial sense, mine just happens to be better than most."

Robin sighed. "Okay, just how good is your spatial sense?"

I had to think about it. "I have a definite picture of a five foot radius, getting progressively blurrier after five, up to twenty feet, and after that, it's gone."

"So how defined is it?"

"Again, it depends on distance, but up close it's really good." I took a step forward. "Like right now, hold up a number behind your back."

Robin gave me a skeptical look but did so anyway. "Three. Now four. Now two. Three again. Five."

"Fine, you've made your point."

I shrugged. "Yeah, but any further away and I wouldn't be able to do that. I might be able to figure out the number if the fingers are far enough apart, but not likely."

"Okay, good to know."

"Do you know a cop named R. Kelton?"

Robin's face darkened a little. "Why do you ask?"

"When I was trying to get to the Mumbo battle yesterday, I got pulled over by this guy. He didn't seem to like the Titans much."

Robin took a deep breath. "He's a cop who has a major prejudice against the meta-human community. Apparently, he had a partner who was killed by one, and since then, he's hated all metas, good and bad. He's also been investigated a few times for excessive force when it comes to meta-human suspects."

"Nice."

"Yeah. Avoid him at all possible, and if you can't, don't antagonize him."

--

I walked down through the garage three days after the Mumbo Jumbo, finding Cyborg tuning up the T-car.

"Hey, you know you gave that thing a tune up yesterday, right?" I asked, leaning on the car.

"Yeah, well, I can't be too careful with my baby," Cyborg said sheepishly.

"Hey, I got some things I need to do, so I'm gone for a while, alright?" I tried to get away quickly, but it didn't work.

Cyborg rolled out from underneath his car and sat up. "Just where are you going?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I need to talk to some friends of mine. You know who."

Cyborg's brow furrowed. "Yeah, I do. Watch yourself out there. It can be dangerous."

I smirked. "Well, she didn't kill me when I stole a kiss from her the other night, so I think I'll be okay."

My mechanical friend let out a low whistle. "That was a risky move. When she was still at the H.I.V.E., a guy tried to kiss her and she put him in the medical wing for a month."

"Good to know. I'll be back in three hours, tops."

As I walked over to my Harley, Cyborg called after me. "Listen, I'm going to cover for you, but you need to tell the other guys about who your friends are soon, cause I don't like lying to them."

"And you think they would take that well? From what I understand, which may not be much, you were the closest to them and would accept their change the fastest. Except maybe Star."

Without waiting for a response, my bike roared to life and I rode out of the Tower.

--

I knocked on the door to Baran's apartment and waited for an answer. A minute later, he called out for me and I teleported in, not bothering with the door.

"Gaah! If you're looking for me to not beat you to a pulp, the door is a good idea," Baran growled.

"Sorry, I like keeping my powers in practice."

"Yeah, Kyd used to ignore doors too," Baran mumbled. "So what do you want?"

"First off, I want to say I didn't come here to fight."

"Yeah, well, I haven't had the best luck with Titans."

"I think I'm different than the other Titans. I mean, I joined two days ago and I don't have anything against you. And besides, if I were coming to attack you, I would have been more stealthy."

"Yeah, well, why'd you join those Titans anyway?"

"Well, I didn't really go out of my way to join them, I kinda got lucky."

Baran snorted. "Lucky? Titans? Yeah, right."

"When I went to the bank the other day I kept it from being robbed. I ended up getting shot and after Raven healed me boss man asked me to join."

Baran frowned. "So? You still didn't join up with them."

I raised a finger. "I didn't have to, but it was the best plan. And before you interrupt, let me diffuse your arguments. I am, for the most part, alone in this city. They offered me a place to live, free food, and being a Titan does pay so I'm not risking my life for free. Not to mention there was no way I was about to anger an alien who can fire energy blasts from her hands and eyes, and has enough strength to literally tear me in two."

"Fine, I can see where you're coming from. But why are you here?"

"I want a friend outside the Titans. I _need_ a friend outside the Titans. And you, while I haven't talked with you much, seem like a good guy to hang out with."

"…oh." Baran shifted uncomfortably. "So what's up with you and Jenny?"

"Last time I checked, she was still upset with me over joining the Titans. And I probably made things worse the other night."

Baran looked confused. "What'd you do?"

"She slammed the door in my face. I then teleported in and gave her a kiss on the cheek and teleported out before she could react."

Baran had a look of complete shock on his face. "She's gonna hex you into next week!"

"A distinct possibility. And a definite probability. I've heard tell she once put a guy in the medical wing for a month for pulling the same move."

Baran's shocked face turned to one of disgust. "Cyborg tell you that?" he spat.

"Yes. And while you may not like Cyborg, and may not forgive him, and I understand why you wouldn't; but please accept the fact that I do work with him, see him on regular basis, and I don't share your deep seeded hatred of him. So in order prevent any future arguments, try to be civil when talking about him."

"……………There were way too many big words in there for me."

"I can be smart when I need to be. All I said was I get where you're coming from, but leave the attitude alone when I'm around."

Baran growled. "I'll try, don't expect much."

"So where's Jenny today?" I asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"She's working at the coffee shop today. You know where it is, right?"

"The one down the street from her apartment? Yeah, I know it."

"And remember that I warned you that she's going hex you into the wall."

"Gotcha. No problem."

"You're crazy."

"You aren't the first person to tell me that. And you definitely won't be the last."

--

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the coffee shop, scanning for Jenny's distinctive pink hair. She saw me a moment after I saw her. Her catlike eyes flashed hot pink.

_Oh, shit._

_Got that right cricket._

Jenny stomped over to me, grabbed my hand and started pulling towards a back door.

_She's a lot stronger than she looks._

"Manny, I'm on break," she yelled at a guy behind the counter.

BANG!

Jenny shoved me away from her and I turned around to look her in the eye. A blast of pink energy hit me square in the chest and I flew back into the wall of the alley.

WHAM!

"That's for stealing a kiss from me," Jenny said indignantly.

I picked myself up slowly, checking to make sure I was still in good shape. "You know," I started, "both Cyborg and Baran told me you'd hex me into the wall. I didn't think it would hurt this much."

"When someone slams a door in your face, it usually means they don't want to talk to you."

"Well, you don't strike me as the type for the usual," I smiled, cracking my back. "Oh, that felt good."

"You don't give up, do you?" Jenny asked, her hands on her hips.

"Nope, definitely not this quick." I waved my hand. "And besides, if I give up, how will I know when you aren't mad at me anymore?"

"There's a little device called a phone you may have heard of."

I put my hand over my chest and mock staggered. "Oh, your wit slays me. What ever will I do?" I laughed and went back to normal. "But seriously, I would much rather see you more than talking on the phone. Just different dynamics, you know?"

Jenny grumbled, "Yes."

"So are you going to forgive me anytime soon?" I smiled hopefully.

Jenny put on a look of deep thought. After a moment, she spoke again. "I get off work soon. Meet me at my apartment in two hours. You're taking me to a movie."

"I am?" I was puzzled as to when I agreed to this.

"Yes, you are. Now, go get cleaned up, and don't be late, it counts against you."

"Noted." Jenny held out a hand and a pulse of pink pushed me back some. She opened the door to the coffee shop and I gave a quick two-fingered salute before teleporting away.

--

Cyborg rolled out from underneath the T-car just in time to see Robin walk into the garage. "What up's, Robin?"

"Have you seen Ghost anywhere? Beast Boy said he saw him coming down here earlier and I wanted to go over some combat techniques with him."

"Yeah, um, he stepped out for a bit, said he had something to do. He should be back soon though."

Robin frowned. "Did he tell you exactly where he was going?"

"Not exactly…"

"He should have told you. We need to know—"

Cyborg cut him off. "Wait, I really don't want to hear you go off on one of your tirades right now. He didn't tell me exactly where he was going, but I have a really good idea."

"Well?"

"He didn't really want me to say anything if anything came up…"

"So he wanted you to cover for him while we don't know where he is."

"Yes, no, well—stop that man. We agreed you wouldn't do the creepy Batman 'fluster me, trip me, get me to say what I want you to hear' thing anymore. And truth is, he wanted me to cover for him because he's nervous."

"He's not the type to get nervous easily."

"No, he's not. He walked around in front of us all completely naked with no problems." They shared a mutual shudder. "I know he doesn't get flustered easily."

"So why did you tell me that he doesn't want us to know where he is because he's nervous?"

"Because, well, he's going to talk to this girl he met the other day, and he didn't want anyone to know. He only told me where he was going because I got it out of him when I was helping him with the dishes during the Initiation."

"Good grief. He's in town for less than a week and he's already found a date. He's as bad as Speedy." But Robin still wasn't satisfied. "I don't understand why he would care us knowing about him having a date."

Cyborg finally put on a smile. "Because he doesn't have it yet. He doesn't want us messing with him cause he got shot down by a girl."

"We wouldn't do that."

"Robin, I don't know how you can say that with a straight face. Remember that clerk at the video store that B.B. try to get a date from. You teased him just as bad as me."

Robin's eyemask narrowed just a fraction of an inch. "…Fine."

Cyborg continued, "And besides, do you know what Starfire would be like if she knew?"

Visions of Starfire dragging Ghost around by the arm, trying get him dressed appropriately, making a strange pudding to celebrate his date, and other general scenes of embarrassment flashed through the leader's mind.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. And I'm impressed that Ghost had enough sense to not tell Starfire."

The loud rumbling of a motorcycle engine filled the garage as a large Harley Davison pulled into place.

I pulled me helmet off, and teleported over to Cyborg.

"Alright dude, I need your help. Badly." I turned my head and noticed Robin standing there.

_How the hell did I miss a dude in a bright red, yellow, and green suit? He's a freaking stoplight!_

"Robin, you come too, I'll probably need it."

Cyborg grabbed me by the shoulders. "Calm down, man. What's got you freaking?"

I stopped long enough to stare the mechanical teen in the eyes and speak slow and even. "I have a date in less than two hours, I need to shower, shave, and get dressed. However, my entire wardrobe consists of white T-shirts, most of them permanently stained or dirty, blue jeans that have the same problem, and this pair of boots. Can I go back to panicking now?"

Cyborg blinked at me, well, winked might be a better way to put it. "…Yeah, panic away."

"Great, meet me at my room in twenty minutes."

_flicker_

Cyborg turned to Robin. "So, I guess we know what can trip him up now."

"Yeah."

--

I stepped out of the shower and dried off quicker than the Flash. I ran a razor over my face to get rid of the stubble and ran over to the door, pulling it open just as Robin was about to knock.

"Great, get in here." I pulled the two Titans in and slammed the door shut.

Robin and Cyborg stood silent, staring at me as I dashed around the room in panic. I stopped and looked at them before finally piecing it together. "Right, pants." I disappeared my bottom half as I did the other day and continued my running around.

"Dude, you got to calm down, or you're never going to get this right," Cyborg said. "Take a deep breath, slow down and listen to me."

I stopped running long enough to hear what he had to say. "Okay, now, before I became the fine looking piece of metal and man you see before you today, I was a big hit with the ladies."

"Teach me, oh great one," I said, my voice flat and oozing with sarcasm.

"First, we need to get you some clothes. And for that, we need to go to Robin's room."

"Hold on a second." I gave my room a final look and found what I had been searching for. "I knew I had some. Behold, my one pair of clean jeans!" I held them up to inspect them. "See, no stains."

Robin smacked his forehead. "Why did I agree to this?" he whispered aside to Cyborg.

"Because Ghost will probably convince Starfire to drag you to the mall with her if you don't."

"Right."

"Alright, now for a shirt," I said, zipping up the fly of the jeans.

Five minutes later I found myself in Robin's room. "How do you even know about these clothes? I never wear them."

"Remember that time when you went to train off in the middle of nowhere with that old lady?" Robin nodded. "Remember how we raided your closet?"

"Wait a second, you raided his closet?" I asked, a grin splitting my face.

"Yeah, we all dressed up in his uniform and were Robin until he got back."

Robin scowled. "Cyborg, that's an example of a story that is best left untold."

Cyborg just ignored him. "Raven made the uniform look real good. _Real_ good."

"I bet."

"Of course, Robin liked Starfire in the costume the best."

"Cyborg! Leave. The. Story. Alone."

We finally found a shirt that Cyborg said would be good. It was a dark blue T-shirt with a dragon emblem on the back. It was a little tighter and shorter than I was used to considering I was bigger than Robin, but Cyborg said it would be good. I don't want think about why he would know that.

After Cyborg said I passed inspection I found myself in the garage again. Cyborg and I traded Robin off to Starfire upstairs and were alone once again.

"One last word of advice. Get flowers. Pink and purple are best."

"I'm taking her to the movies. Are flowers really necessary?"

"No, but if you're looking for her to forgive you, they're a good idea. So get them."

"Fine, I'll get them, but if they don't work I'm blaming you."

I started my bike and gave Cyborg a quick good bye before driving out and away.

--

"The target is moving," a metallic voice said into a communicator. "Approximate speed: fifty five miles per hour. I have a shot."

"_Take it,"_ a cold voice said on the other end of the communicator.

"Affirmative." BANG-SssssssTHWUMP!

The dart fired from the gun hit the target square in the back of the neck.

"Target hit," the metallic voice said. "Target slowing…target is stopped."

"_Excellent. Retrieve the target and bring it back here. Don't waste any time. We don't need anyone seeing us."_

"Understood."

--

Cyborg was in the living room, playing video games with Beast Boy.

"Yo, I got these guys, you get the ones coming up from the rear."

"Gotcha, Cy. Watch the ones coming down from sides."

"Okay, we need to lead them somewhere else. Bottleneck them down here. Let's get them. Go, dude, go!"

Thirty seconds later, all the enemies were gone. "Yeah dude, we rock. We totally slammed them."

_buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz_

"Hold on, what's that buzzing?" Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg scanned the room and his eyes fell on a vibrating phone on the coffee table. "Ah, it's just Ghost's cell."

"Should we answer it?"

Cyborg shook his head. "Nah, they can just leave a message and it's not our business anyway."

"Cool. Next level?"

Cyborg and Beast Boy played for another five minutes before the phone rang again. "You sure we shouldn't answer it?"

"Yeah, it's probably not that important."

Another five minutes passed before the phone rang once again.

"Dude, I'm answering it," Beast Boy said as he reached for the phone.

Cyborg grabbed it away from him before he could get it. "No offense, but you're not the most tactful when it comes to this kind of stuff."

Beast Boy turned around to sulk and Cyborg brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"_Hello? Who's this? This isn't Keith. Who's there?"_

"This is Cyborg. Who's this?"

"_Oh Cyborg, it's Jenny. Have you seen Keith? He was supposed to come take me to a movie half an hour ago and he hasn't shown up yet."_

"Yeah, that's weird, he left early saying he wanted to make sure he was on time."

"_Well I don't know where he is? Can't you do a trace for his communicator or something?"_

"Look, it's probably nothing to worry about."

"_Just run a trace. If something happened to him, you should know as soon as possible."_

"Fine, I'll do it, but chill out."

Cyborg walked over to the computer and typed in the codes necessary to locate a communicator. "Alright, this is weird, he isn't moving. He's on the side of the highway."

"_Well call him and see just what the hell he's doing!"_

Cyborg punched in a number on his arm and a waited for an answer.

…

……

………

"Why isn't he answering?" Cyborg mumbled to himself. "Hey, Beast Boy, try calling Ghost on his communicator."

Beast Boy punched in the code and came up with the same result.

"Yeah, I'm not getting anything. Where's he at?"

"_Who's he pissed off so far?"_ Jenny asked.

"Just Rancid and Mumbo, couple non-powered people, but no one who could kidnap him," Cyborg said, already knowing what Jenny was thinking. "Especially since none of them have busted out yet."

"Where's Ghost?" Beast Boy asked again. "And who're you talking to?"

"Listen, Jenny," Cyborg started. "I'll call you back later. Right now, I need to find out why Ghost isn't answering his communicator."

"_Fine, but I want updates."_ CLICK

"Yo, Robin," Cyborg spoke into his arm communicator. "We might have a situation. Both me and B.B. have tried to call Ghost but he isn't answering his hails."

"_Great. Meeting in the common room now. I'll contact Starfire, you call Raven."_

--

"Where is friend Ghost now?" Starfire asked.

"He's in the same spot. And I don't mean he's still in the same general area, he hasn't moved."

"So he ditched the communicator. We shouldn't have let him in so easily," Raven said.

"We don't know he's betraying us. And we shouldn't jump to that conclusion," Robin said.

"I'm not going to pretend that it hasn't happened before," Raven said. "And I won't say that I trust him yet, because I don't, and this doesn't feel good."

"You mean it feels like Terra," Beast Boy said quietly.

Raven sent a glare in his direction. "No, it doesn't feel like Terra. But it doesn't feel right."

"We will reserve judgment until we have more facts," Robin ordered. "Cyborg, fire up the T-car and get us to where Ghost's communicator is now. If Ghost was just planted to get information, I don't want this blowing up in our faces. Titans, go."

--

I felt a cold slab of steel underneath me as my eyes fluttered open. Bright lights shown in my eyes, and I tried to twist my head away, but found I couldn't. Steel restrains held my wrist and ankles in place.

I instinctively tried to teleport out of them, but found I couldn't. I dug deeper and tried again, but was met with an electric shock.

"Try all you like, but you won't be able to escape those bonds." I heard a cold voice coming from my right. "Your restrains have built in power suppressors that prevent you from utilizing your abilities."

"Who are you?" I asked hoarsely, my mouth and throat dry.

"Oh, yes," the voice said, "one of the side effects of the tranquilizer we used to bring you in is a severe dry mouth. Oh well."

"What do you want with me?"

"You are the perfect candidate for what I have planned for the Titans." Metallic footsteps clanged forward to a position in front of me. The man standing in front of me was wearing white robes with a gold and black chest piece. His head was part machine, reminiscent of Cyborg, but red instead of blue. His fingers were cold gray claws, and his metal 'hair' was brought up into two spikes on either side of his head.

"You are new to the Titans and so are perfect for infiltrating them for me."

"What makes you think I'm going to be doing anything for you?"

The man sneered. "You won't have a choice. You will be my new student, and you will do everything I say." His eyes began to glow red, and a buzzing grew at the base of my head.

"What are you doing to me?"

"You will be my student, you want to serve me." His eyes glowed brighter and the buzzing intensified.

"No way will I serve you!" The man's eyes burned red, and my head erupted in pain.

"**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"_**


	5. Rescue

"You may be difficult to break, but trust me, you will," the man with the cold voice said. "Perhaps…with a bit of…different persuasion, you will be more susceptible my methods of suggestion."

CLINK! CLINK! Clink! Clink! Clink. Clink.

Fading metallic footsteps told me the man was walking away.

My head was on fire. Intense lights still shown in my eyes, and shutting my eyes didn't stop the heat that was being generated. I couldn't move and I could barely breath.

"Eh_heh_heh_heh_heh_heh_heh."

A hissing laugh filled the air.

"You will contribute nicely to my research," a voice with a slight Asian tint to it said. "Yes, you will make my developments much more powerful."

"What……w-what are you talking about?" I croaked.

"Your genes hold answers that I want," the new voice hissed. "And now I shall have them. Eh_heh_heh_heh_heh."

The man's sinister laughing plagued my ears as metallic instruments were _clink_ed into place on a nearby table. He brought one instrument in front of my eyes and a scalpel glinted in the light.

I felt the blade dig into my skin and I hissed though my teeth.

"A little muscle tissue."

A needle stuck itself in my arm.

"A blood sample."

A knife peeled a section of skin off my leg.

"And a skin sample."

I felt my blood ooze down my right leg and arm as I heard a chair roll across the floor.

_Someone……………help me………_

--

The T-car pulled off the road and the Titans poured out of the silver and blue vehicle.

Cyborg looked at his arm computer. "Ghost's communicator is supposed to be right…about…here." He looked down and there was a yellow communicator at his feet. A few feet off was an abandoned blue Harley Davidson.

"I don't think he's a defector," Cyborg stated.

"Why?" Beast Boy asked.

"From what I've seen, he loves his bike, and if he were defecting, he would definitely take the bike with him. He wouldn't abandon it on the side of the road."

"This still feels like we're walking into a trap," Raven said.

"I don't know. He doesn't seem like the type of person to try to lead us into a trap." Robin looked closer at the scene and noticed something. "There're footsteps here. And not just Ghost's. There're three other sets."

Robin studied the footsteps for a moment before standing up and facing the Titans. "Okay, what I think happened was Ghost pulled off to the side and stumbled around before the three other came down and dragged him off."

"And how'd you figure that out?" Beast Boy asked.

"I studied the footprints and that's what happened. The other three people were of the same height and weight, and each of them had an 'H' symbol in the heel of the print. That means H.I.V.E. robots."

"Blood," Cyborg spat.

"We can't be sure it's Blood yet. All we can tell is that it's the H.I.V.E. But why would the H.I.V.E. be after Ghost? He hasn't even fought them yet, at least not that we know of."

"Perhaps friend Ghost was simply the easiest target," Starfire offered.

"Maybe." Robin shook his head. "But I still don't like this."

Beast Boy spoke up. "One of our teammates just got taken, none of us like it. And come on, Brother Blood is definitely crazy enough to try to kidnap one of us." He suddenly started jumping up and down. "Ooh, maybe he kidnapped Ghost and is going to replace him with a creepy robot that's programmed to kill us all. Or maybe it was aliens who made it look like a H.I.V.E. attack."

"Aliens?!" Starfire asked accusingly and Beast Boy hid behind Cyborg in fear of the alien princesses bad side.

"No, Beast Boy, I doubt that's what he's trying to do. And again, we can't even be sure that Blood is still running the H.I.V.E. until we have solid proof."

"I might be able to get some information on the H.I.V.E.," Cyborg said.

"Where from?" Robin asked.

"I can't really tell you, but I can tell you the whatever info we get will be reliable. But I got to talk to this person anyway, so let me try to get a lead or something."

"I don't like getting information from a source I don't know."

"I know Robin, and I know you don't like being left out of the loop, but I need to do this on my own." Cyborg sighed. "And besides…I'm probably the only one she would consider giving info to."

Robin thought about it for a moment. "Fine, but I want Raven to shadow you. You may have to go in alone, but I don't want you to be without back up."

It was Cyborg's turn to think. "She can come, but she needs to stay far enough away that…my contact…doesn't notice her."

"Fine. Starfire, Beast Boy, you two stay here with me and see if we can find any more clues. Cyborg, Raven, get going. I don't want to get information and find out it's too late."

Cyborg and Raven climbed into the T-car and drove about a mile. "Rae, can you just not make any noise until I'm done? I'd rather not let her know that I'm not going to be alone."

Raven gave Cyborg a look that made him seem like an idiot.

"Er…right."

Cyborg pulled out the cell Jenny called him on earlier and found her number.

It rang twice before Jenny picked up. _"What's the news?"_ she asked, not even bothering to ask whom it was.

"We have a problem. And we need to talk."

"_So talk."_

"We need to talk in person."

"_How deep is this stuff?"_

"'Androids from H.I.V.E.' deep."

"_Meet me at the food court in twenty minutes. And whoever's shadowing you; tell them to just come with you. If the H.I.V.E. is involved, I don't care. I want to get back at Blood for keeping me under a royal mind fuck for so long."_

"Twenty minutes then. Raven's going to be there too."

"_I'm bringing Baran. We aren't bringing hostilities, so you need to be good too."_ CLICK

"Where are we going to be in twenty minutes?" Raven asked as Cyborg stored the cell phone in a leg compartment.

"The food court at the mall."

"Why did you expose me as your shadow?"

"It was a show of good faith. And I needed one. The person we're going to meet is Jinx."

Raven's normal stare turned to a glare. "Jinx?"

Cyborg gulped. He wasn't afraid of much, but an upset Raven was one of them. "…and Mammoth."

"Why are we going to have a meeting with two of our enemies?"

"Because they aren't our enemies anymore."

Raven's glare wasn't softened at all. "How do we know that?"

"Because Ghost is dating Jinx."

Cyborg waited for the blow to come. He slowly opened his human eye to see Raven breathing calmly and muttering her mantra. She stopped after a minute or two and looked at Cyborg again. "And why is one of our teammates dating a terrorist?"

"He likes her. And he knows what she used to do. She told him that pretty quickly actually, after he asked her about it."

"So we don't have any proof that she and Mammoth are retired, other than the word of a person we just met a few days ago?"

"Well, think about it. We haven't seen either of them pull a job in more than six months, and they waited until they were released from prison this time, instead of breaking out like they normally did. And I saw both of them working at normal jobs, so I got to believe them, at least right now, y'know?"

"I still don't like this situation."

"We don't anything better to run with, so we got to deal."

--

Jenny didn't bother knocking as she walked into Baran's apartment. "Hurry up Baran, we got people to see and Titans to talk to."

Baran growled. "Why'd you tell them I'd be there? I don't want to talk to no Titans."

"It's just two of them, and we can handle them if it comes to that."

Baran grunted.

"And if we help them, we have a chance to get back at Blood for messing with our brains."

"I like that idea."

"Good, now get your keys and let's get to the mall, we need to meet them in five minutes."

--

Raven teleported Cyborg and herself into a shadowy corner of the mall. They made their way to the food court and sat down at a corner table. Jenny and Baran joined them a few minutes later.

"You're late," Raven said dryly.

"Don't do make this harder than it has to be," Jenny said. "I don't want to work with you either. But if I get a shot at Blood, I'll do it."

"You really don't like being betrayed," Cyborg mused.

"Yeah," Baran started. "We don't like what you did, but Blood was just wrong. We were criminals before, but Blood messed with our minds to try and keep us that way. Like we were going to change."

"You claim you've gone legit now," Raven commented.

"That's beside the point," Jenny said.

"So what information do you have for us Jinx?" Raven asked, wanting to get down to business.

"First of all, it's Jenny, not Jinx. We haven't been Jinx or Mammoth since we got out of jail a few months ago. And what do we get out of giving you what we know?"

"We don't put you back in jail," said Raven plainly.

Jenny stifled a laugh. "You couldn't put us in jail even if you wanted to. We don't have any warrants out on us, so you can't arrest us."

Raven knew they hadn't done anything to merit arrest, so she could only glare.

"What do you want?" Cyborg asked, opening a compartment on his leg, pulling out a wad of bills.

Jenny eyed the bills for a second. "…I'm behind on rent, and tips have been slow…" she muttered under her breath. "Five hundred, and we want a shot at Blood."

"We can't do that," Cyborg said. "We know you can handle yourself, but we can't knowingly let civilians go up against a villain like Blood."

"So you can unknowingly let us go up against him?" Jenny asked with a smirk.

"Yes, wait no, I mean…we can't have people going up against Blood. He's too dangerous. I mean, he's been able to take over your mind before, what says he wouldn't do that again?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were concerned about us," Jenny commented.

"Titans are supposed to protect all the people of the city, including the people we don't like," Raven said.

Cyborg laid a few bills down on the table, pushing them towards Jenny and Baran. "I can't let you take on Blood, but there's your money, so what do you have for us?"

Jenny frowned and pulled out her old H.I.V.E. Five communicator. "Gizmo, come in."

The line was silent for a moment, and then crackled to life. _"Snkkkt-Gizmo here. What do ya want Jinx? I'm busy."_

"What do you know about Blood? What's he been doing in the past month or so? And it's not Jinx anymore, it's Jenny, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"_Blood? I'm staying away from that snot-sniffing crudmuncher for now. I haven't made all the things I need to take him on yet."_

"I didn't ask what _you_ were doing, I asked what _he_ was doing. And don't lie to me Mikron, I'll come over and hex you into next week."

"_Don't call me Mikron! It's Gizmo! Gizmo! And you know it!"_ On the other end of the line, Gizmo took a few deep breaths and calmed down. _"Why the sudden interest in what he's been doing? Looking for a date?"_

Baran snickered and Jenny growled, her eyes flashing pink. "I want to know because I have a shot at taking him down, and because he kidnapped someone. Someone I happen to want to get back."

"_Oh, so you are after a date?"_

"Stow it, _Mikron_."

"_Fine. Ever since Blood escaped six months ago, he's been lying low. Apparently he's still gunning for the Titans, especially Cyborg. He's got that cludgehead Chang working for him too."_

"Anything else?"

"_Yeah. He's planning to make a move in the next few days. But I'm not sure about that anymore. My bugs have found out that he's got some new person he's messing with that he picked up in the past couple hours."_

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"_I mean I'm not sure! The scum sucker has the new guy locked up in his lab, and my bugs can't get in there. A big tech force field or something shorts them out if I get near any of the entrances."_

"Where's Blood now?"

"_Mountains just outside of town. I got schematics too if you want 'em."_

"Transfer them to my communicator. And Gizmo?"

"_Yeah?"_

"Thanks for this."

"_Don't mention it. And when you go after him, stop by the hideout. I got some psychic dampeners for you. Should keep Blood out of you head for a little while at least. Gizmo out-snkkkt."_

Jenny stowed the communicator in her bag again and looked back at the Titans across from her. "So, do we have a deal? You let me and Baran come on the mission and we give you the location and schematics of Blood's base, and let you use any psychic dampeners that Gizmo's built so far."

"We can't let you come on the mission, I thought we made that clear earlier," Raven stated.

"If you don't let us in on the mission, we'll take our information and take on Blood ourselves, no matter what you say," Jenny countered.

Raven opened her mouth to continue the argument, but Cyborg cut her off. "Fine, we'll let you come along."

Jenny smiled. "I'll go get Gizmo's dampeners. We'll meet you at the base of your Tower in three hours."

--

"I can't see how this is a good idea," Robin said, his hand on his forehead. The Titans were waiting for Jenny and Baran to show up. "Why are we working with Jinx and Mammoth?"

"Because they have information that we need and extra people against Blood is always good," Cyborg answered.

"Nobody is happy about this arrangement," Raven said, "but we have to make the best of it. We need to get Ghost back and the easiest way is for us to work with them." She turned to Cyborg. "But if they show any signs of turning on us, I won't hesitate to take them down."

Cyborg was about to say something back when he caught sight of an old beat up Civic driving down the land bridge to the Tower.

Baran got out of the Civic and pulled a black case with him. "The psychic dampeners," Jenny explained as she saw the Titans eyeing the case. Baran set it on the hood and opened it to prove their point.

"You didn't think we'd try to blow you guys up, did you?" Jenny asked. "We may not like you guys, but we have gone straight now, and we definitely wouldn't take ourselves out just to get rid of you guys. We like living and we wouldn't be able to enjoy it if we got rid of you like that."

"You're so reassuring," Raven droned.

"It is wonderful that you are no longer participating in the villain activities," Starfire said in her normal perky voice. "I know that you have tried to kill us in previous times, but perhaps we could be…friends?"

Baran crossed his arms. "Not likely, girly."

"How do we know we can trust you not to turn on us?" Robin asked coldly, partially from the company he was currently in, and partially from Baran's nickname for Starfire.

"Because we don't like Blood more than you don't like Blood," Jenny answered.

"Look, I'm always one for endless bickering," Beast Boy cut in, "but we need to get going. We don't know what Ghost is doing, or how long he's going to last."

The others looked at him strangely for a second before Robin spoke up. "Um, no offense Beast Boy, but you tend to be a jokester…why the change of heart?"

"Hey, Keith's a cool guy, and nobody deserves to be experimented on. Besides, he takes the time to just hang out with me, he takes the time to try my tofu, which he said wasn't all that bad, and he helped me out the other night when…I was at the diner."

"We all want to save him and take down Blood, but we need a plan." Everyone, even Baran and Jenny, paid attention as Robin went into his 'leader mode'. "Blood will probably expect us to attack him, but I doubt he'll expect you two working with us." He pointed out an entrance on the plans Baran had pulled out. "We go in through here. It's the least protected and fairly close to the lab where Ghost is being held." Robin shot a glare at Jenny and Baran. "That is, if he's really where he is."

"Trust me, Gizmo's info is reliable. Especially since we didn't tell him that he's helping the Titans."

"He wouldn't help us if he knew it was us the info was going to?" Beast Boy asked.

"Duh. Just because we went legit doesn't mean everyone from the H.I.V.E. did. And being Gizmo is still a bad guy, and you tend stop him all the time, so what do you think?"

"How many psychic dampeners do we have?" Cyborg asked.

Jenny answered as Baran opened the case to show the Titans. "We only have six of the things. Gizmo didn't think we'd ever need anymore than that."

"So one of you are staying here," Beast Boy said, his voice more of a question than a statement.

"Wrong," Jenny said firmly. "The deal was: in exchange for the information and the dampeners, we get to take on Blood with you guys. That means one of you are sitting this out."

"No we're not," Cyborg said softly. The others looked at him strangely.

"Didn't you just here what I just said?" Jenny asked. "We aren't staying here, so it has to be one of you guys."

"No. I'll go in without a dampener. He hasn't ever been able to get to me. I've taken him down before, and I'll do it again. And if he does manage to get in my head, take me out."

"That is most unacceptable!" Starfire interjected and everyone jumped. She had been so quiet that they almost forgot she was there. "It is not permissible to think that way!"

Cyborg turned his attention to Starfire and spoke just as softly as he had been, but there was more force behind it. "Look Star, we need all the people we can get to take on Blood. We don't know what he's going to bring out against us, so we can't weaken ourselves anymore than we have to. And I'm the only one he hasn't taken over before, so my plan makes sense. But if he takes me over, take me out before I take you out."

"No! I will not attack my friends so unnecessarily," Starfire protested.

"I'll do it," Robin said. Starfire gaped at him.

"Good," Cyborg said. "I'd prefer you do it anyway. I know you'll make sure I don't get back up, but I won't have to make two weeks of repair after."

--

Pant.

Pant.

Pant.

Wheeze.

Cough.

Pant.

Groan.

Pant.

My body was on fire and my mind felt like it was liquefying.

I was blind.

I could still see, but I was still blind. The power nullifiers kept me from using my teleportation, but it also turned off my spatial sense. I never realized just how much I depended on it, knowing where everything around me was, and I truly felt blind without it.

It felt like I had been there only for a little while, but I kept blacking out, so I wasn't sure.

The man who looked like he was Cyborg's bastard relative was named Blood I had learned. Not that he had bothered to tell me, I had to figure it out from the other man, Chang, apparently.

Blood kept coming in. Whenever his eyes glowed red my head exploded in pain. I gave up trying to keep the agony inside and screamed. His voice haunted my mind, whispering how I would subject myself to his will and be his student. He left me alone with Chang a few times, and I failed to see how that was any better.

I knew that I should be trying to think of a way to escape, but coherent thought was getting harder and harder. Blood made sure of that.

But one thing remained in my mind.

No matter how much it felt like it, no matter how much I would rather it come, death was far away.

--

Gizmo sat at his workbench, goggles down and welding a piece on one of his new inventions. He sat back and switched his attention to the bugs he had in Blood's headquarters. He was upset that he couldn't get one into his lab, but he had one just about everywhere else, so he wasn't too upset.

"…_subject continues to resist. The reason for his resistance continues to elude me. I will have the newest Titan as my student."_

Anything else that could have been heard from the bug was drowned out by Gizmo's shouting. "Arrgh! Stupid pit-sniffing crud munching Jinx! The snot-sucking witch! She didn't tell me that I was helping a stupid Titan! I never would have helped those scummy do-gooders if I had known!" He threw an unfinished invention against a wall, smashing it to pieces.

Gizmo breathed deeply a few times before throwing another invention against the wall. "And she said she was dating him? What is she thinking? She learned her lesson after the walking refrigerator blew up the H.I.V.E. the first time. Man, she loves to mess with me all the time, doesn't she? What did I ever do to her? I mean, yeah, I blew up her underwear drawer a few times, but come on, I apologized."

The diminutive genius sat in his lab for a few minutes, fuming in silence.

"If she isn't going to work with us, at least she's working with the people who can fight on our level. I doubt they'll let anything happen to her. And she's got Mammoth to watch her back."

"Hmph. Still should have told me."

--

Robin stood at the hood of the T-car, pointing out the objectives as they came up.

"This is the way every thing is going down. Cyborg, Jinx…"

--

"…_you two disable the outer security here."_

Cyborg crept towards the security box as best as an oversized mountain of man and machine could creep. Jinx sent a hex bolt at the robot guard, overloading its circuits and shorting it out.

The robot collapsed into a crumpled heap, and the two snuck forwards. Jinx's eyes flashed, and the lock on the security box popped off. Cyborg turned two of his fingers into miniature blowtorches and deftly severed several of the wires and circuits; cutting off the security to the areas they needed to move through.

--

"_Starfire, you, Beast Boy and Mammoth take out the guards in front of our entrance."_

A green hummingbird flitted through the air above three H.I.V.E. guards. None of them took any notice, not until an emerald hippopotamus crushed one of them. Sparking circuitry crackled underneath Beast Boy's temporary girth, and a starbolt decimated the head of another drone.

Mammoth, showing deceptive sneakiness, emerged from the shadows and crushed the last guard with his powerful hands.

--

"_Raven, you and I will enter first, and get the door unlocked from the inside."_

The shadow's swirled into the form of a bird and Robin and Raven stepped from them. Making sure the coast was clear; Robin moved silently over to the door and extracted a small tool kit from his belt.

A screwdriver popped the covering of the keypad off and Robin used another instrument to short circuit the device.

Swi-ish!

The door slid open and the rest of the troupe was on the other side. "Okay, we need to move," Robin whispered. "Stay silent as long as we can. Once we're detected, we can start blowing things up, but not until then. We don't need any extra attention."

"We know Boy Blunder," Jinx said irately. "We went over this already. Let's just do this and get out of here."

"Good." Everyone nodded and started to move towards the main lab of the facility, Cyborg in the lead. Twists and turns served to confuse them, but Cyborg had memorized the floor plans, so the chance of getting lost was minimal.

The Titans snuck through the hallways, disabling guards as they went, trying to hide the destroyed husks.

All was going well until a trio of guards came up from behind the group.

**WHEET! WHEET! WHEET!**

Red lights flashed and the alarm blared and the Titans cursed. Jinx whipped around and threw a bass of hex bolts at the H.I.V.E. robots and two of them blew apart. Cyborg's sonic cannon tore apart the remaining and they started to run towards what they hoped was the lab.

Cyborg plowed forward with constant blasts from his arm cannon, knocking back robots and driving a path through them as more and more seeped in through side hallways and hidden doors. Raven pulled debris in around behind them to keep from being surrounded.

Starfire threw starbolts at the hallways the robots were entering from, trying to keep their resistance as low as possible.

Beast Boy charged forward as an elephant, tearing through robots as they got in range. Robin and Jinx threw off birdarangs and hex bolts as Mammoth crushed the few that got close enough.

"Mammoth, Starfire, Beast Boy, take that split off up ahead," Cyborg said, pointing down the hallway. "Second left, then your third right. Take out the power generator when you get there. We don't need Blood activating a self destruct just because he still has the power to do it."

"We shall destroy the offending power generator," Starfire said proudly.

Starfire, Beast Boy, and Mammoth split off from the group as the rest kept moving towards the lab.

"Hello, Titans." Brother's Blood cold voice rang out from the catwalk as a single light illuminated him, leaving most of the room in darkness. "And one of my former students as well. How interesting. I was under the impression that you hated each other."

"It's amazing what hating you can do for a person's motivation," Jinx spat. "I don't really like these guys, but you…I hate you."

Blood chuckled. "Hehehe, hating me will do nothing to stop the inevitable. You will lose and become my students once again. And this time Cyborg," he said, the venom in his voice growing, "I will make sure you stay under my control!"

"What have you done with Ghost?" Cyborg snarled, his contempt for the H.I.V.E. Headmaster showing through.

"Why should it matter?" Blood laughed. "You will be under my control momentarily, and any concern for your newest teammate will be gone. But I suppose it doesn't matter a great deal. I had intended to have him become one of my followers and infiltrate your little team, dismantle it from inside."

"That's not very original," Jinx called out, "Slade already did that with that blonde girl Terra."

The Titans barely resisted the urge to beat Jinx then and there for hitting upon that sore target. Raven still shot her a dirty glare. Brother Blood, however, didn't notice.

"You insolent little peon!" he roared. "How dare you compare me to him!"

"You're right," Jinx shrugged, "I shouldn't compare you two. You're nowhere near the level of Slade. He never resorted to mind control. Manipulation, but never mind control."

"You will regret saying that!" Blood bellowed.

"Oh come on, you can't beat us. Slade was able to beat the Titans, and he doesn't have any powers. You do, and you always lose to Cyborg. Always."

"I will destroy you!"

Blood leapt down and slashed at Jinx with glowing red fingers; his eyes ablaze with red energy. Jinx back flipped out of the way and threw a few hexes at her old headmaster. Blood leapt into the air as Cyborg fired a sonic blast that hit Raven's floating form.

Raven teleported out before she hit a wall and reappeared on the other side of the room where a sparking forked tip jabbed into her back.

"Aaagggh!" Raven screamed as she crumbled to the ground, back still smoking.

Lights around the room flickered to life and exposed Chang's henchmen, holding the same weapons they had the last time they had fought the Titans. With the addition of these forces, the Titans were outnumbered five to one, if Raven woke up fast.

Robin set upon attacking the henchmen, jumping and dodging the electrical blasts and bursts of quick harden foam being shot at him.

Robin's bo staff whipped out and disarmed one of the henchmen with the sparking rod. The staff broke one of the attackers weapons in half before it caught the man on the chin on the upswing. Robin vaulted into a second henchman, kicked off his chest and spin kicked another man in the temple.

Robin spun his staff above his head, forcing his attackers back a few feet. Jabbing one of them in the stomach, Robin kicked one of his legs back to catch another in the knee. Doubled over, another man tripped over him and Robin caught him with a back elbow, only to rebound into a third man with a punch to the nose.

The Boy Wonder threw an explosive disc against a far wall and the archway the henchmen were filing in through collapsed. The rubble prevented any more reinforcements from arriving, improving the Titans chances, even if only slightly.

--

Mammoth led the charge down the hall, barreling through robots and Chang's henchmen as Starfire kept up a barrage of eye lasers and starbolts. Beast Boy flew through in his pterodactyl form, avoid stray laser blasts and serving as a distraction to keep their attackers from going after Starfire or Mammoth.

Mammoth slammed into the wall as he took the right down the hall to the power room. The wall opened up into a circular room with white painted wall. Starfire threw a starbolt behind her and closed off the entrance to keep the odds in their favor. She knew this closed off their way out, but she would deal with that later.

Mammoth's fist crushed the head of one of the robotic guards, it crumpling at his feet as he heard a faint clapping above his head.

"Ha ha ha. I thought this job was going to be boring," a female voice commented from above him.

The voice belonged to a girl who looked to be about nineteen or twenty, and stood about five foot two. Her red hair stood out against her pale white skin, which her Goth-like outfit showed much of. Black leather pants covered her legs and a studded belt encircled her waist. A strapless leather bra covered her breasts and fingerless gloves were worn over her hands, the rest of her torso left bare. Black makeup highlighted her lips and eyes, setting off her eyes in a rather attractive effect.

"When Blood told me I was watching a power generator, I thought I was never going to see any action, but here are two of the Teen Titans for me to fight. What a day. And who's down below me? I can't see you. Come on, get out where I can see you so I can beat you easily."

Mammoth stepped out of the shadows of the catwalk he was under, his mouth and the girl's dropping when they saw each other. "S-sis?"

"Baran?" The gothic girl jumped down from the catwalk, landing in a crouch before running towards the man-mountain. Beast Boy and Starfire watched with dumbfounded looks as Baran caught the much shorter girl in a hug and spun her around a few times.

"I thought you were in jail," the girl said as Mammoth put her down.

"I got out a few months ago. I would have told you if you weren't so hard to get a hold of." The girl held a confused look on her face as she looked up at her apparent brother.

"But Blood told me you were in a high security prison. He said if I worked for him, he would give me a hand in busting you out. That's why I'm helping him out, that and the money he's paying me."

"Blood has a problem with telling the truth. He kept us all in the H.I.V.E., even the people who wanted out."

The goth's face turned sour in a second. "What?" she asked, her voice dangerous.

"Remember how me and Jenny and Gizmo wanted to work on our own? After the headmistress got booted, we thought that was a good time to get out, pull some jobs on our own. Blood gave us all a royal mind fuck and kept us around. That's why I'm here trying to bust him up. Get him back for what he did to me."

"That goddamn bastard! I'll turn his robot nuts to glass and smash them to a million pieces! Nobody messes with my little brother and gets away with it! Let's go Baran." She walked over to a terminal and put her hand on the face, turning it to crystal. Mammoth put his fist through it, a loud humming buzz denoting the power down of the generator.

Beast Boy and Starfire turned to look at each other. "Little brother?" he whispered disbelievingly.

"I was unaware of Mammoth's familial relations. This is the news to myself." Starfire shrugged as she took off in flight after the brother and sister, going down the passage Baran's sister had entered through.

--

Brother Blood fired a blast from his arm cannon at Cyborg, only for him to jump out of the way at the last moment, firing a blast of his own.

Jinx threw some hex bolts at the floor around Blood, cracking and unsettling the concrete. The bad luck sorceress jumped up to the catwalk, charged it with pink energy, and collapsed it onto her former instructor.

The pile of metal exploded in a burst of red energy, a seething Blood in the center. "How dare you! I taught you! You should be grateful for what I did. I helped you. You would have never made it without me. Look at you. Even now, you did the coward thing and aren't even trying to do anything to do anything illegal."

Jinx snorted. "Wouldn't make it without you? Let's look at my track record. After I left, my team pulled twice as many successful jobs as when we were with you. And as for me going straight, you're about to go to jail, and I'm going to be on the outside. Who's winning now?" She punctuated her last remark with a hex bolt hurled straight at Blood head.

Blood dived out of the way, his hands glowing an intense red. He cut through a sonic blast from Cyborg, and dodged another hex field from Jinx.

Jinx was about to attack Blood again when he appeared in front of them, his hand on her throat. As her breath left her, she was knocked back twenty feet, an explosive disc having detonated against Blood's back.

Jinx shook off the weariness that came with being thrown by an explosion, only to watch as Cyborg charged in and landed a heavy right hand on Blood's chin. A left uppercut quickly followed and a kick-stomp to Blood's knee broke off his right leg at the joint.

Black energy swirled around Jinx and she spun around to see Raven holding most of the henchmen down with her powers, some unconscious and pinned on top of other guards, some struggling to escape the half demon's powers.

Cyborg blocked as Blood threw an off balance strike at his head, grabbing his arm and throwing the red madman into a staff swing from Robin. Blood took the worst of the strike to the face, crumpling to the floor in a heap.

"What? You didn't leave any for me?"

Jinx's head swiveled up to the still standing catwalk. "Selinda?"

"The one and only. Good to see you again Jenny."

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm arguing, long as you aren't here to fight us."

"I was working for that idiot down there, but now that I heard what he did to my little brother, I think I just want to beat him to a pulp."

"You always did have a thing for protecting your brother. Never did quite get it, I mean he is able to get hit with a Mac truck and walk away."

"Doesn't matter. No one messes with my little brother and gets away with it."

Jinx shook her head and looked to Cyborg. "The lab is through those doors, right?" she asked, pointing at a set of steel doors at the other end of the room.

"As long as the plans were right." They proceeded slowly, wary of anything else that Blood may have left for them to deal with.

**KAA-BOOOOM!!!!**

The doors flew back, the Titans dodging as only they could.

A fifteen-foot robot stood in the smoking doorway, Professor Chang visible in a glass cockpit on top. "I knew that that fool would foul things up. He was always too arrogant."

The large robot fist flew towards the Titans, Starfire catching the punch and forcing it back and the mechanized suit off-balance.

Selinda leapt forward, placed both of her hands on the suit and concentrated. The other fighters watched in amazement as the suit disappeared, evaporating, leaving Chang to fall to the floor. He looked up at the Titans, fell to his knees, and whimpered.

Robin's staff flicked out in a flash, dropping the professor into unconsciousness.

Beast Boy, Mammoth and Starfire stayed back to make sure that Blood and Chang stayed down.

"He's over here," Robin called, motioning to the steel table their lost teammate lay unconscious on.

"He doesn't look good," Selinda commented.

"Ghost's been subject to both Blood and Chang's experiments. I'm surprised he doesn't look worse. Neither of them are known for their ethics," Raven said.

"Raven, see what you can do about his cuts and whatnot," Cyborg said.

A light blue energy covered Raven's hands. Cuts knitted themselves together under her power, leaving the skin without even a scar.

"Okay, the cops are going to be here in half an hour. Selinda, thanks for your help, but if your still here when the cops get here, something tells me you won't get along too well."

Selinda sighed. "The joys of being a mercenary. But you're right. Thanks for not turning me in." She walked over to Baran, gave him a hug and told him she'd be in touch.

"Why didn't you hand her over to the police?" Cyborg asked as Raven's power held up his teammate's unconscious form, and Starfire carried a bound and gagged Blood and Chang.

"She helped us take down those two," Robin explained, jerking his head at Starfire's captives. "And if we did try to turn her in, we would have had to fight her. And because of who she is, we'd probably be fighting Mammoth as well. We don't need any more injuries today, even if it means putting someone else behind bars."

The rest of the trip to the surface was made in silence, Beast Boy not even bothering to crack a bad joke. He knew the seriousness of the situation, and he knew now wasn't the time for jokes.

The first police cars were arriving on the scene when the Titans emerged from the tunnels of the latest H.I.V.E. base. An ambulance pulled up in front of the group, the back doors opening and the EMTs jumping out.

"Hey, you're the girl from the ambulance from when Ghost beat down those guys at the bank a few days ago," Beast Boy said as Raven placed me onto the gurney.

Susan turned around to face the green changeling. "Yeah, I am. And he's the same guy who had to be patched up then."

Raven glided in between them, effectively stopping the conversation. "I healed his wounds, but I don't know why he's still unconscious. Take him to Titans Tower, we have more advanced medical equipment there."

Susan didn't look pleased at the comment, but let it slide because she knew that Raven was right. "Fine, I'll go tell Joe."

"Joe?" Beast Boy asked.

"The driver," Susan answered without a backwards glance.

--

"I don't understand it," Cyborg stated as he looked over the charts. "Ghost's been asleep for more than three days. He should have woken up by now."

Raven opened one eye from the spot where she was meditating in the corner. "It doesn't have anything to do any physical injuries. I've healed everything that you've found wrong with him, including what he had wrong with him before Blood and Chang worked him over."

"So what's wrong with him then?"

"It's the reason I've been meditating in here for the past few days rather than the roof. I know you had been wondering about that. Ghost is in a type of psychic coma. When Blood tried to take control of Ghost's mind, Ghost tried to fight back. Apparently it worked for a while, but the struggle ended up causing large amounts of damage to Ghost's mind. I'm honestly surprised that Ghost held out as long as he did, but eventually…he just shut down."

"So why haven't you been able to fix him yet?"

"His mind is strange, somewhat chaotic, and that was before Blood tried to force his way in. I've never dealt with a mind quite like his, and with as much damage as has been done, I'm simply not strong enough to fix him."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"…………I don't know."


	6. Healing

Robin sat in his room, at his desk, staring at a black computer screen.

A soft _knock_ was heard against the door as it _swish_ed open to reveal a familiar silhouette. "Robin? Why have you resigned yourself to the confines of your room, where you sit and stare at a computer that is not currently operating?"

"Hey Starfire," Robin sighed. "Don't worry about me. I'm not going obsessive again, I'm just about to call in for a favor, and I just don't want to talk with the guy I need to talk to."

"Oh, I see. Should I depart for a moment, or…"

"Don't worry about it. Has Ghost's condition improved at all?"

Starfire's face fell. "No, it has not. I am becoming very worried about friend Ghost's health. He has not improved and I fear that he may not get better if something is not done to help him soon."

"Actually, that's what this is about. I'm calling in someone who should be able to help us fix the damage done by Blood."

"Why have you not requested the favor yet? If it could help to fix friend Ghost then you should have called this person right away!"

"It…it's complicated," Robin sighed. "You know I don't like calling in for help, and this is one person who won't ever forget it. I needed to see if we could fix Ghost before doing this."

Starfire put on a strange look of stubbornness that was only seen when she was upset and one of her friends was in danger.

"Fine, I'm calling," Robin conceded. He had found out a while ago that it was near impossible for him to say no to Starfire, no matter what the situation may be.

The Boy Wonder flipped the computer on and punched in a string of numbers he had memorized but never wished he needed to use. "This is Robin of the Teen Titans calling the Watchtower, Robin calling the Watchtower."

The screen filled with the unmistakable cowl of Batman. _"What is it?"_

"I…We…My team needs Justice League assistance." Onscreen, Batman's eyes narrowed slightly, not enough for Starfire to notice, but enough for Robin to see and note that his former mentor was listening. "One of my team was captured by Brother Blood, and took a lot of mental punishment. We can't fix him here and he needs someone capable of going into his mind and fixing the damage. Raven's tried, but she can't do enough to wake him up. We need J'onn to help us."

Batman's face didn't change to the untrained eye, but Robin could see him contemplating what to do. _"J'onn's currently off planet. He should be back in the next thirty-six hours, negotiations are going well were he is. Prep your teammate for travel; I'm sending a Javelin down for pick up. It'll be there in an hour. Batman out."_

The screen blipped to blank, and Robin stared at the black. "Get Cyborg to get Ghost ready for transport. I'll be there to help him in a few minutes."

Starfire drifted out of the room, a look of concern on her face, herself not sure which teammate it was for.

--

Cyborg had streamlined most of the operations for anything that needed doing the Tower, but transporting coma patients was one of the few that he hadn't. To put a point to it, he had never done something like this, and hoped he never had to again. Everyone on the team had been had been unconscious at points, it was an inevitability, but never a coma. And when Blood had brought everyone underneath his control, after it was broken, everyone had had headaches, but this was something he hadn't expected.

Cyborg heard a rattling coming from inside his leg, and opened a compartment to find a buzzing phone. "What—how hasn't the battery died yet?" Pushing the thought aside, he saw who was calling and flipped the phone open. "What is it Jinx?" he asked, sounded every bit as tired as he felt.

"_How's he doing?"_

"Better, in the sense that his physical wounds are all completely healed."

"_How's he really doing?"_

Cyborg let out a long sigh before answering. "He hasn't woken up yet. Raven said he's in some sort of psychic coma, and won't wake up till all the damage has been fixed. Problem is, she's not strong enough to do what needs to be done, and then we can only hope that he'll wake up. None of us are really experienced with this stuff other than Raven, and she's not sure, and she's not a true telepath, just an empath, and I just wish I could do more."

"_Quit beating yourself to hell over this. I'll be happy to do it for you."_

"I know…it's just that I know I should be able to do more. I should have found a way to fix him, I mean; my brain is part computer after all. Doesn't that count for something?"

"_Not to sound concerned, but what's up with you? You're usually more upbeat and optimistic than this."_

"……"

"_Talk to me Stone."_

"…Blood's my guy. I'm the one who he comes after; I'm the one who's supposed to takes him down. Robin has Slade, Starfire has her sister, Raven has Trigon…"

"_Who?"_

"You know, don't worry about that, it's something that's best left alone. And if I tell you, Raven'd probably kill me."

"_Fine, fine, I don't care. So what are you going to do? If you guys aren't able to fix him, what're you going to do?"_

"Apparently, the Justice League is sending a ship down, and J'onn J'onzz is going to have a look at him, see if he can't figure it out. Past that…who knows? But it'll all work out. We're the good guys, it always works out for us in the end, you know?"

Jenny's mind flicked to Terra for a moment, but she didn't say anything. _"Yeah, do-gooders always get their way."_

Cyborg heard Robin's voice behind him, but didn't turn immediately around. "Listen, I've got to go, but I'll call you with any changes." Shutting the phone and storing in his leg, making a mental note to charge it later, he turned his attention to Robin.

"I just got another update, the Javelin that's going to get us up to the Watchtower is going to be here in fifteen minutes. What still needs to be done?"

Cyborg looked over the room, seeing what was left. "Only last minute things, stuff he needs to stay attached to until he's moved. Guess everything went faster than I realized."

"Alright, man, just make sure he's ready to move when they get here."

--

The Javelin docked in the main Watchtower and Captain Atom walked away, muttering about if he heard another word on how meat was better than tofu or vice versa, he would have to hurt someone.

Robin was the first out of the shuttle, moving quickly towards the welcoming party set before him. "Hello there Wonder Woman, Flash."

"Hey there Robin, how're you doing?" Flash greeted. "What brings you up here?"

"Didn't you read the information?" Wonder Woman asked.

Flash had sense enough to look sheepish as he ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Um…not really. I knew you would read it all and we're just the welcome, aren't we?"

Robin cut in before Wonder Woman could get too upset. "Our newest member got put into a sort of psychic coma that we can't get him out of. J'onn's supposed to take a look at him when he gets back."

Flash's face fell from the normal jovial smile he normally wore. "Oh man, I'm sorry. Who's your new guy?"

"I doubt you know him. He's never really been a hero before, he was working as a roadie before he joined us."

Flash quickly looked intrigued. "Really? What're his powers?"

"Short to mid range teleportation and invisibility. Why?"

Flash now wore a sly smile. "This guy…is he about six foot, brown hair in a ponytail, kinda looks like a biker?"

"…yeah…why?"

"I know that guy! If he's the same one I'm thinking of, I know him. A concert came through Keystone a while back, and this guy with the tour smacked Captain Cold in the back of the head with a wrench when I was trying to keep a bunch of people from being frozen. He was a funny guy, and it was nice to have someone else take care of that guy for me, but I don't think I'd want to work with him all the time."

"Why's that? Too serious for you?" Robin smirked.

"No, I just don't think we'd work to well together. Maybe once in a while, but he wouldn't be able to keep up with me on patrol, or anything like that." After a beat, he added, "Besides, I think the bad guys would probably start looking into wrench-proof helmets."

"You're probably right," Robin laughed, "but then again, the bad guys aren't always known for learning from their mistakes."

They all shared a laugh over that, knowing it was true. "Well, I suppose you and your team want to see where the medical bay is," Wonder Woman said, already beginning to walk down a hallway.

"Hey man, wait up," Beast Boy called, and Robin turned around to see Cyborg talking with the team used to transport injured, and the rest of his team standing against the Javelin.

--

J'onn J'onzz arrived a day after the Titans got up to the Watchtower, and was immediately sent to the medical bay. "What happened here?"

Batman spoke. "Immense psychic damage done over a short period of time. It's keeping him in a coma. All physical injuries have been healed, so all that needs to be done is to have the damage to his mind fixed. That's where you come in. Raven's going to be helping you."

"Very well." J'onn and Raven closed their eyes and felt them slip onto the mental plane.

"So…when are we gonna know if they fixed him or not?" Beast Boy asked.

"When they come out of his mind and tell us," Batman answered plainly.

--

J'onn and Raven found themselves floating in mid-air surrounded by what looked like interlocking steel pipes. The pipes were about two inches in diameter, and hit each other a ninety-degree angles. All the vertical pipes had small rings on them, two in between each horizontal, allowing for a slight step up to the next ledge. It seemed never ending, the pipes going on forever.

"…Well, this is interesting."

"Hey, who's there? Ain't no one supposed to be there. Curiosity, have you been wandering around again? Oh, hello."

Raven looked at the man before them, standing on one of the horizontal pipes, balancing perfectly without holding onto the pipe above him. He looked exactly like her unconscious teammate, the only difference being his bright, neon green hair and a slight Irish accent.

"Which aspect are you?" Raven asked bluntly.

"Me? I'm not an aspect…well, not really, but kinda. The name's Cricket."

"If you aren't an aspect, then who are you?" J'onn asked.

"Well, I'm a little strange. Course, that's only because Keith's a little strange. See, teleportation is really disorienting, at least the way Keith does it. And when he first started doing it, when he was four, he wasn't able to keep things straight. First couple times he did it, he passed out for a minute or two. But anyway, he wasn't able to deal with all the stress, so his brain made me. I'm not _precisely_ sure what I am, but I know that I think separately from Keith. And I have access to almost all the information in his head, even if _he_ can't readily remember. But I do love making him figure out everything for himself. I guess the best way to classify me is a separate personality that never takes control. I just know that I keep everything in order, just so he doesn't go completely nuts."

"Are you why Ghost's mind is so strange?"

"Not fully. I told you, every time he teleports, everything gets scrambled. It's a lot easier on passengers, but they do usually end up disoriented. Anyway, the teleportation is what screws him up so bad. If I weren't around, he'd be crazy by now. Actually, by now he'd probably be brain dead, but you know. So what are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to fix the damage done by Brother Blood," J'onn answered.

"Great, I could use the help. I've been running around here for the past few days trying to fix it. Lot harder than what normally happens with his teleports."

"So do you know what's wrong with Ghost?" J'onn inquired.

"Well, to protect him, I buried his psyche deep in his mind. Problem is, I don't know where."

"I thought you said you had access to all the information in Keith's mind," Raven said.

"I said _almost_ all. I threw him down deep in there. I'm not sure. And besides, I've been running around here for the past few days, trying to fix all the stuff that went wrong. I suppose I could just leave it alone for a while, and go find his psyche, dump him back in a damaged mind, and cause him to go nuts with the mental pain, or I could keep doing what I'm doing. What do you say?"

"We can assist you in healing his mind," J'onn said diplomatically.

Cricket rocked back and forth, contemplating. "What am I gonna do? Say no? I mean, I can't fix him myself, and you two can, not to mention that the both of you could and probably would help me even if I did say no, so yes, help, please."

Raven and J'onn inclined their heads slightly in agreement, and began to concentrate harder. The alien and the half-demon stayed there for half a day, Cricket rocking back and forth on the pipe, dropping down to hang by his knees for a while, and even holding a finger as close as he could get it to Raven without touching her, just to see if she would notice. One eye opened, and he immediately shrank back.

"Gotcha, don't do that no more."

A little while later, Raven and J'onn came out of their trances, Cricket, letting out a sigh of relief. "Finally, I thought you guys got stuck in Keith's head or something."

"The majority of the damage has been repaired. Anything else will be fix itself with rest," J'onn explained. "Once you find Keith's psyche, he should be able to take control again and function normally." J'onn's eyes glowed briefly. "I am needed elsewhere. I must take my leave."

As the form of J'onn faded away, Cricket turned his attention to Raven again. "So, you gonna help me look for Keith or am I on my own?"

"I don't know the layout of his mind near as well as you. Why do you need my help?"

Cricket chuckled. "Well, ya see…just because I know the layout of the mind doesn't mean I know how to put him back in control. That's where you come in."

"I don't have anything better to do, and it will be faster than if I try to explain to you…" Raven muttered to herself, and Cricket knew he wasn't supposed to hear.

The duo set off in a seemingly random direction, with Cricket leading the way, jumping from one pipe to the next, and climbing up the verticals with amazing ease.

--

"So what's up, doc?" Beast Boy asked, quickly shifting into a rabbit and back again, earning a snicker from the Flash.

"Yeah, you were in there for more than twelve hours. What took you so long?" Flash asked.

"Ghost's mind is very unusual. This made repairing the damage very difficult. Now as I am needed elsewhere, I must take my leave."

"Oh yeah, Bats came down earlier and said he had to talk to you." J'onn nodded and made his way out of the room and off to see Batman.

"Still can't believe it's him," Flash continued. "Who'd have guessed that the same guy who helped me out one time, and wasn't a hero or anything, would end up on your team?"

Beast Boy and Starfire nodded their assent as Robin shook his head. "It's not as unlikely as you're making it out to be. He's got a strong sense of justice, and he won't let people get away with crimes right in front of him. And as for him showing up in both Keystone and Jump City, he was with a touring company. Keystone and Jump are both fairly large cities, it makes sense that he would come through both."

"Well, I guess," Beast Boy said, shuffling his feet, then brightening. "Five bucks says the first thing he asked about is food."

Starfire raised a finger. "I shall accept the five dollar wager."

Cyborg shook his head, knowing that Beast Boy had just gotten five dollars richer.

--

The unusual duo of Raven and Cricket traversed the mental plane, roughly side by side.

"Hey Raven, you might want to be careful up here."

"Why?"

"We're coming up on—oomph!" A speeding body flew down from above and tackled Cricket.

"We're in Happy's territory, aren't we?" Raven smirked.

"How'd you know?" Cricket pushed a pink shirt clad aspect off him as he pulled himself up to a level pipe.

"Just a guess. And the fact that my Happy aspect tries the same thing every time I visit her."

"Happy, get off!" Cricket pushed Happy far enough away and scurried up three levels, pointing a shaking finger at the grinning aspect. "Why the hell do you do that every time I come here?"

"It's always so great to see you! You never come to see me so I have to make the most of it every time you do come to visit. Want to play tag? Not it!"

"No, Happy, I don't want to play tag. We're doing something important right now. You know that I buried Keith's psyche somewhere."

"Sure do! Don't know where though. When you find him, can you tell him I want to play with him? You never do anymore." He turned to look at Raven. "Hey Ms. Scary Lady, do you want to play? You don't even have to be it. I don't mind."

"…I don't _do_ tag."

"…Oh well. I'm going to ask Timid if he wants to play." Happy ran off towards Timid's territory.

Cricket shook his head. "Look's like I'm going to have to save Timid after this is over. Third time this month. Let's keep looking."

A short time later, Cricket and Raven passed into a distinctly different section of the mind. A large training floor covered a large square in the middle of the pipes, the verticals breaking long enough to let the floor go on uninterrupted, then resuming ten feet overhead. The sounds of flesh striking wood filled the air.

Cricket stepped forward and called out, "Bravery! Where are you? And how in the world can you hide on an open mat?"

A muscular aspect wearing a dark green shirt jumped down in front of the duo. "I'm right here, and as for the hiding thing, I don't really know. What do you need?"

"We're looking for Keith's psyche. Any idea where I put it?"

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you know you owe me a fight later on for me answering." Cricket nodded and rolled his hand over and over in a 'hurry up' gesture. "I know you threw it down deep. It's down there past where Intelligence is. I'm talking down there. Intelligence should know more, but when doesn't he know more?"

"Alright, thanks Bravery. I'll be back after I get Keith fixed up."

Bravery saluted good-bye as Cricket and Raven descended the grid.

"What did you mean when you told Bravery that you owed him a fight?"

"Just a sparring match. He loves to fight, and being a mental construct, neither of us really gets hurt. So the deal is that when I get his help, I have to help him train. Doesn't your Bravery do that?"

"…No."

"Hmm. Maybe it has something to do with me not really being Keith, just a…well whatever you want to call me. No big deal."

A few minutes later, Raven and Cricket were speaking with the yellow clad Intelligence. "Yes, when you buried Keith's psyche, he went down past here. I followed for a bit, I think he ended up around the base instincts."

Cricket sighed deeply, and thanked Intelligence anyway. Raven knew why her companion wasn't happy to hear that, she had once traveled near her base instincts, and never wished to visit them again.

After traveling warily for quite some time, Cricket and Raven arrived at the edge of the instincts territory, a noticeable change from where they had been. The area the instincts inhabited covered an actual floor, black and cracking platforms as it were, but a floor the same.

"If you don't want to go in there, I don't blame you," Cricket said. "You can stay out here while I go in there and get Keith. You just fix him up when I get him out here."

"…No. I've come this far, I won't stop now. And I've faced down my father, a few instincts won't be the ones to beat me."

"Are you sure? I mean, I won't get too messed up; I'm a native here, for the most part. You aren't. They'll probably attack you without hesitation."

"I'm sure."

As the two made their way forward, they began to here the sounds of gnashing teeth and cracking bones. This was what Cricket had been worried about.

Cricket went forward first, knowing what he was about to see, but hoping against hope he was wrong.

A figure in rags hunched around a vertical rising from the ground, a piece of raw meat in his hands. A plate was discarded on the floor beside him, covered in broken chicken bones, the marrow sucked out and the meat completely gone.

It was Hunger.

Cricket swore silently as he saw a crystal holding a distorted image of his only friend.

Cricket crept back to where he had made Raven wait, where she was hovering in the lotus position. "It's Hunger up ahead. If it were anyone else, I'd be okay with you going with me, but Hunger's bad. Keith's instincts are under control for the most part, but you've seen him eat before, haven't you? I mean, he's been hungry around you guys, but he's never lost control around you. I've seen him eat molding cheese before because he's been so depleted, and Hunger's the personification of that eat anything quality. I really don't want you coming with me."

"I told you I wasn't going to abandon you, I'm going to now, just because you say that there's something you don't want me to see. I have personal demons of my own, some much worse than you can imagine."

Cricket sighed and didn't bother protesting any longer, he knew he wasn't going to get anywhere and it wasn't worth trying.

Cricket went first again, and seeing Hunger was still occupied with his meat, he signaled Raven forward. Raven glided forward silently, and gasped as Cricket ran forward yelling for Hunger's attention.

"What are you doing?" She called back.

"Just get Keith!" Cricket bellowed and kept running from the ravenous instinct. Raven reached the crystal just as she heard Cricket scream in pain. She whirled around and spoke her mantra, binding Hunger with black energy.

Cricket scrambled away, clutching a bleeding arm. "What are you doing? Get Keith! I'll be fine!"

Raven just poured more power into the obsidian tendrils binding the struggling captive, and screamed at the searing pain produced when Hunger actually started eating its bindings. Raven couldn't remember any time the extensions of her soul self were destroyed in such a painful manner.

_WHAAM!_

Cricket drove the full force of his shoulder into Hunger's torso, putting him down and wrestling with it. "Go!" he grunted. "Get Keith and go! I'll catch up!"

Raven levitated the large crystal with her weakened powers, and flew off, only chancing one glance back to see Hunger kick Cricket off and pouch on him, teeth bared.

--

Cyborg excused himself from the room, pulling the phone from his leg once more. _"How's he doing?"_ Jenny asked from the other end.

"He's almost fixed. The damage has been fixed, but Raven's still inside trying to restore his psyche."

"_So what does that mean? And why did you call me even though he's not fixed yet?"_

"I said I would call with any changes, and I would say this is a change. But I have another reason for calling. I have a question."

"_What is it?"_

"Why did you go on the mission with us?"

"_What do you mean?"_

"Did you help us because you wanted to save Ghost, or did you just want revenge on Blood?"

"………"

"Jinx?"

"………"

"Jenny?"

"_I wanted Blood."_

Before Cyborg could say anything else, he was met with a dial tone.

--

Raven didn't set the crystal down until she reached Intelligence's territory. Once she was able to concentrate properly once again, she assumed the lotus position and began the process of reconnecting her teammate's consciousness.

An hour later, once it was done, she opened her eyes. Cricket was leaning against one of the verticals near her, covered in scratches and a chunk of skin missing from his arm where Hunger had bite him.

"Keith's all fixed then?" Raven nodded and Cricket smiled. "That's good. It's been strange not having him to talk to. But can I ask you a favor?"

Raven just raised an eyebrow.

"Okay then. Could you leave out the fact that I'm really a separate person? I'm not sure if that's the right word for it, but he just thinks I'm his conscience, and I'd rather have him not think he's crazy. Well, crazier."

"I suppose so."

"And if you ever need to talk or vent or whatever, I'm a good listener. A lot better than Keith anyway."

--

Everyone stood up as Raven opened her eyes and uncrossed her legs. "Keith should wake up in a few minutes. The damage is fixed, and he will be fine. Now I need to rest. Don't disturb me," looking specifically at Starfire and Beast Boy.

--

My eyes flickered a few times before they really opened. Then I remembered.

"Where am I?" I shot up, my head glancing around the room, trying to make sense of everything. "What happened? Why does my head hurt so much? Can I get a sandwich?"

"Hah! I win the bet!" Beast Boy crowed, then sat back down sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Lay back down," the strong voice of Wonder Woman commanded me. "You're on the Watchtower. You're safe."

"What happened?" I asked, taking a glass of water Starfire handed me.

"After we took down Brother Blood, you were in a coma," Cyborg explained. "We brought you up here after Raven couldn't bring you out of it. She and J'onn J'onzz fixed you right up. You've been out for a few days."

"That takes care of my second and third questions, so about that sandwich?"

Flash zipped over, tossing me a sub. "What? I know I'm always hungry after getting knocked out."

" 'anks," I said, my mouth full.

"No problem," Flash said, eating a sandwich of his own.

"Yeah, um, this is good, but I haven't eaten in several days, if I really have been out for as long as you say, so I'm going to need more. Can you show me the kitchen?"

"You are going to stay right here until you're healed," Wonder Woman said forcefully. "I'll have some more food sent up." The Amazonian princess exited as gracefully as one would expect.

Over the next hour, I was told exactly what had happened after I had left for my date with Jenny. Even though I was embarrassed that I was captured so easily, the others told me it happened to everyone at some point or another. They were all actually fairly surprised that Blood hadn't taken over my mind completely. Apparently, Cyborg was the only one to ever completely resist his powers, and someone named Bumblebee was one of the few to break free, but I was the only case that they knew of who had had this reaction to it.

"Okay, can everyone get out now? I just want to eat a little bit more and then take a nap."

"A nap?" Beast Boy said in disbelief. "You've been asleep for the past few days, why do you want to sleep more?"

"I also haven't eaten in a few days. My energy is about zero right now. Count yourself lucky I haven't passed out yet."

"Oh. Okay. Hey Starfire, you owe me five bucks," Beast Boy said, his attention off me now.

"No, you owe me the five dollars. The bet was that Keith's first question was to be for food. He first requested to know where he was. That means I win."

I called after their retreating forms. "Hey, were you betting on me?" They shouted back an affirmative. "Hey, guess that means I'm really one of the group.


End file.
